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when the eleven-year-old boy who just escaped from an abusive household doesn't immediately act like a shonen protagonist 💀
Last QLFC fic tomorrow and then I'm going to start polishing the IOD finale. I'm expecting to post it on Saturday (5/25) as along as disaster doesn't strike
Chapter Seventeen: A Deadly Riddle
Mordred enacts his plan. Fate comes full circle. Abandon all hope, for the war might be lost. Read the year finale from the beginning at AO3|FFN!
For a second, complete darkness enveloped him and then receded, pain stinging his skull and his spine; Harry realised the blow must have knocked him unconscious.
Something warm and wet dripped down the side of his hand. Gingerly, Harry cleared the area around him of metal shards as best as he could and got to his feet.
Just as Harry started to get his bearings, he heard the sounds of duelling and loud footfalls coming closer. Then, as they turned the corner, a ricochet of light followed, casting the three figures into stark focus.
Mordred fought both Remus and Sirius, his face alight with fury. He spun on his heel and reappeared behind Sirius, the latter's curse flying harmlessly through the air.
"What?"
Remus and Sirius turned to face Mordred, wands raised defensively.
"It can't be," said Remus, his voice shaky.
None of them had seen Harry crouched in the darkness.
"How did he break the Apparition ward?" Sirius turned to Remus, his wand still trained on Mordred. "That's impossible! It's ancient! A thousand years old! Tens of thousands of people have tried and failed!"
ꪖ ᥴꪮꪑꪑꪮꪀ ꪖᦔꪜꫀ᥅ᦓꪖ᥅ꪗ
⋘ 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑎… ⋙ █▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ ↺1%
The Hospital Wing, white, clean, and scented with fresh linens and morning air, was nearly empty. It was a peaceful scene, the soft breeze blowing at the white, floor-sweeping curtains, the pale light twinkling on the shiny marble tiles.
A voice rang out, disturbing the halcyon atmosphere.
“Why are you still here?”
“I haven’t got anything better to do,” T. M. Riddle pointed out, a large grimoire propped open in his hands, and balanced precariously on his foot, which was crossed over his knee. His plain black robes gave him a scholarly air, accentuated by his habit of irritatedly pushing away the obsidian lock of hair that kept falling into his pale face and distracting him from his reading.
Ruby Potter turned her head, and glared. If she could, she would have made a rude hand gesture, but her fingers were still sore from the burns, peeling and flaking. Most disturbingly, the flesh there was turning crimson, as if her hands had been permanently stained.
“I wish,” she said, to no one in particular, “that you would go away.”
To tell the truth, she was sick of seeing his face in her dreams. They were not nice dreams, although Ruby thought it might be even more unsettling if they were.
“Life isn’t about getting what you want,” Tee responded almost instantly. “To answer your first question: I’ve been in that room all year and I’m tired of it, I can’t read in the library, because Remus Lupin’s glowering and passive-aggressive shelf-stocking is distracting, I don’t fancy the dungeons, and the Hospital Wing has the best light.”
He clicked his tongue, his face a mask of displeasure. “Satisfied?”
Both looked up as the door to the Hospital Wing swung open, two sets of footsteps ringing out across the floor. The first set belonged to a tall, elderly wizard in bright purple robes patterned all over with constellations, with a pair of half-moon spectacles perched on his long, crooked nose. The second also belonged to a bespectacled wizard, this one with hair that stuck out at all angles; notably, his school robes were too short for him and needed to be let out, since he had recently grown quite considerably.
“I hope Harry and I are not interrupting?” called Albus Dumbledore, his serene voice seeming to float in the air.
Tee had grown even paler. He shut his book with a loud snap, sending up a visible plume of dust, and scrambled to his feet.
“Of course not. I was just leaving.”
Dumbledore laid a hand on Tee’s shoulder, causing him to flinch. “Do stay, Tom. I wished to speak to you as well.”
⋘ 𝑃𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑖𝑡… ⋙
I finished the chapter outline for A Common Adversary (of course with the full knowledge that I will then proceed to diverge wildly from it). At least, now the actual writing of a new chapter backlog can begin.
So far, here is the tentative chapter list (also of course highly subject to change):
1. The Broken Seal (????-??-??)
2. All Quiet On The Front (????-??-??)
3. Blood In The Water (????-??-??)
4. Training Day (????-??-??)
5. Skyfall (????-??-??)
6. No Dark Mark, No Crime (????-??-??)
7. The Wicked Knife (????-??-??)
8. En Passant (????-??-??)
9. The Pen is Mightier (????-??-??)
10. Parry, Feint, Castle (????-??-??)
11. Synthesis (????-??-??)
12. Darkest Depths (????-??-??)
13. A Matter of Gravity (????-??-??)
14. Puzzle Pieces (????-??-???)
15. Fractured Fantasy (????-??-??)
16. Shadow Play (????-??-??)
17. In It For the Long Haul (????-??-??)
I've started outlining the Sorting Swap AU (currently titled The Butterfly Flaps). So far I've got the timeline of up to 1947, but not 100% how to choreograph the actual war. Dumbledore has much fewer strategic flaws than Voldemort, so it's hard to figure out what weakness resistance cells could exploit if he became a Dark Lord. Overplanning/over strategizing himself into a metaphorical hole or Gellert Grindelwald are the only obvious ones I can think of.
And of course I need to finish A Conspiracy of Ravens at some point.
Harry: Oh, and I almost forgot. Ron was looking after Hephaestus— Ruby: You let Ronald Weasley look after my cat?
ꪖ ᥴꪮꪑꪑꪮꪀ ꪖᦔꪜꫀ᥅ᦓꪖ᥅ꪗ
Mordred, the inhabitant of Slytherin’s Locket, was defeated, but not before sowing his own legacy of chaos: forcing Ruby Potter to make a prophecy, grievously injuring Sirius Black, and destroying the artifice that keeps Hogwarts separate from the rest of the world. The Ministry of Magic crumbles further as Umbridge rises; a strange army emerges to snuff out the Order of the Phoenix.
Harry Potter is drawn to his fate; T. M. Riddle's remains uncertain. A confrontation approaches.
FFN|AO3
the bad luck trio
Ruby = blackthorn and dragon heartstring, = ‘straif’, Halloween (The inevitability of death, protection, revenge, strife and war, balance between light and darkness, long associated with witches’ wands and staffs and witches and heretics were burned on blackthorn pyres, seen as sinister from Christianity, spines can cause septic wounds but the berries are edible and sweetest after a hard frost)
Tom = yew and phoenix feather, = ‘iodhadh’, winter solstice (divination, death and rebirth, graveyards, the Christian Church, the oldest trees in Britain, can be thousands of years old since they can regenerate themselves and are practically immortal, every part of the tree is poisonous, used to make medieval English and Scottish longbows)
Harry = holly and phoenix feather, = ‘tinne’, summer solstice (also has Christian symbolism - ‘crown of thorns’, protection, sacrifice, hope, the spiny leaves act as mini-conductors which protect the tree from lightning and believed to ward off evil spirits, berries are poisonous to humans but not birds)
“”It is almost impossible to cut lengths of Blackthorn bare-handed without pricking oneself and shedding blood… Quite often there will be patches of red or deep orange areas, which look almost like natural blood-stains.”
“ Like Yew and Blackthorn (both also known for their protective qualities) Holly timber is very dense and difficult to manipulate…. . The bark of Holly is a lovely, waxy, deep green and its heartwood ranges from light cream to pale gold, and occasionally olive green. When the bark is left un-removed but polished it has a metallic appearance making it even lovelier to handle and admire.”
Just wait until I get to talk about the mythological and textual significance of Tom's new wand.
Chapter One: Trial By Fire
Tee repays a debt and makes a promise. The professors debate on the chaos of the world outside. Dumbledore sets Snape a task. Harry and Ruby try to get a grasp of the situation. Read from the beginning at FFN|AO3
Harry didn’t think Neville, like a lot of people at Hogwarts, had ever gotten over Theodore Nott’s revelation, or the suspicion that Ruby had been the one poisoning everyone.
Well — that, and the fact that the events of a few weeks ago had been hastily covered up. There was no way to explain what had happened with Mordred without explaining that Voldemort had Horcruxes, and so, Dumbledore had left his explanation as vague as possible.
A few years ago, I stood before you, and said that dark forces were attempting to penetrate Hogwarts — the defences that surround us, as well as those within us. Since that day, we have faced many grave threats. And it was a grave threat indeed that we faced last night.
Dark forces are at work within this school. Voldemort’s forces. A servant of his was thwarted last night.
Harry recalled looking out across the silent, anxious crowd. His eyes had been drawn to the Slytherin table, to Theodore Nott, staring up at Dumbledore.
And everything in him had filled with hate.
This servant, this instrument of darkness, attempted to drive wedges between us, to weaken us. Know this — if we do not stand together, regardless of House, regardless of blood status — we shall surely fall.
Chapter Two: In Need of Assistance
Umbridge takes power. The Order sets up residence. Snape returns to his old master. Riddle and Dumbledore go shopping. Read from the beginning at FFN|AO3
“—And you still wish to spy for me, to spy on the Order of the Phoenix, and more importantly, Dumbledore?” Voldemort leaned forward, his red eyes widening.
“I do,” said Snape unflinchingly. His expression, his manner, his mind — they all were the image of the same single-minded, transparent dedication Lord Voldemort so admired.
“Have you not developed a fondness for your Headmaster? You have known him for far longer than you knew me.”
Lifting his head to look directly into Voldemort’s eyes, Snape said: “I swore an oath, My Lord, an oath to you and you only. Now that the Ministry has forced Hogwarts to close for the summer, I may move about freely.”
Voldemort regarded him for a long time in silence.
“Good,” he said finally. “That is very good, Severus.” And then, “What of the boy?”
“Potter,” spat Snape with obvious distaste, “is hidden with the Order.”
Likely under a Fidelius as well as the blood protection. But that is not the boy I meant. Let us see: will he catch on?
Chapter Three: Sunlight and Secrets
Voldemort gives a performance review. The Order meets at 12 Grimmauld Place. Ruby confronts Tee. Sirius and the kids go to a street party. Read from the beginning at FFN|AO3
"Good morning, Professor Dumbledore." Harry realised, with some discomfort, that the role of host had fallen to him. "Sirius's in the kitchen — I'll go get him. If you'd all like to, er, wait in the drawing room…"
As the crowd then moved in that direction, murmuring amongst themselves, Harry turned and started to go downstairs, only to catch sight of a figure in dark robes just behind Dumbledore continuing down the hall.
It can't be, he reasoned, as he went down the stairs. Him being at Hogwarts is bad enough; being around the Order of the Phoenix — who knows what he might repeat, and to who — never mind what he might do!
When Harry descended to the bottom of the stairs, Sirius was, not as he had previously said, trying to check the cutlery for curses, but instead sat at the kitchen table and gazing into space.
"The Order's here," said Harry, but Sirius didn't hear him.
"Sirius," he said, louder. "The Order—"
"I heard," said Sirius acidly. "They're here."
Chapter Four: Unwelcome Arrivals
Harry and Ruby return to Hogwarts. Two unexpected arrivals turn up at the feast. Dumbledore and Snape plot. Read from the beginning at FFN|AO3!
"Oh, there you are," said Hermione, elbowing her way through the crowd. "Come on, we don't want to be late for schedules."
Hermione said schedules as if the schedules were tickets to a blockbuster film.
At least someone's starting off the year in a good mood, thought Harry as they filtered into the Great Hall. He tried to ignore the snatches of conversation.
"That Potter, he's probably up to no good again."
"Still think he isn't a Dark Lord?"
"I'll bet anything he's the one who destroyed the wards."
It was impossible to ignore — not with the staring and pointing. Harry's already low mood plummeted to the ground as he followed Ron and Hermione to the Gryffindor table. Professor McGonagall was already moving along the table, handing out schedules.
Ron uttered a low groan as if he had been wounded.
"What?" asked Hermione, already absorbed in colour-coding.
"Double Defence, first thing in the morning."
Hermione shook her quill at him, dripping cobalt blue ink. "Oh, get off it, Ron, he's only your brother!"
Chapter Five: Forcing Moves
Mafalda makes a shocking discovery. Harry and Hermione are suspicious of Bill Weasley's motives. Ruby consults Dumbledore. Read from the beginning at FFN|AO3!
"You should go home and rest," said Tonks, her hair dark and lank, eyes wide with worry. She fiddled with the lid of the flask, screwing it back on hesitantly as if she expected Mafalda to need another draught.
"I'm fine," said Mafalda through her teeth. Now, a good amount of the Aurors were staring at them, peering curiously over the low tops of their open cubicles. She wished they would get back to their work; after all, it surely had to be more interesting than hers. "I just need to speak to Shacklebolt. Can one of you please go get him?"
Hassan crossed his broad arms, frowning. "What would you possibly need to say to Kingsley Shacklebolt?"
By the time he'd finished speaking, Tonks had already turned on her heel and left, presumably to find him. She had obviously assumed it was Order business.
Though her limbs were still weak, and her mind sluggish, Mafalda looked up at Hassan to respond: "More than you would assume, it appears."
A hysterical laugh nearly escaped her, and she pressed her hand to her mouth to keep it back.
His frown grew deeper. Hassan had just opened his mouth to speak when Tonks drew close again, Kingsley Shacklebolt striding after her. The latter nodded at Hassan as if to dismiss him; and Hassan slunk away, but, Mafalda noticed, still close enough to overhear if they spoke too loudly.
"What's going on, Mafalda?" asked Kingsley, and her head snapped up.
"I—" How could she? Who was she to deliver this news? How to even begin?
Start with the facts. Mafalda cleared her throat, her hands forming fists, the pain of her nails digging into the palm, anchoring her to reality. She willed her voice to be still.
rare! distaff trio fluff (ch. 4)
“Stealing her from you, Harry!” Lavender called, linking an arm about Ruby’s and whisking her away into the crowd. “Where’ve you been all summer? Your letters were all so cryptic!”
Ruby grimaced. “Dumbledore’s orders. I really can’t—”
“Tell us, I know,” said Parvati resignedly. “Our very own woman of mystery.”
“We were at each other’s houses all summer,” said Lavender wistfully. “I wish you could have come. It was so fun. Ooh, Parvati, we have to tell her about the time when—”
[...]
After a moment’s silence, Lavender said, brightly, “Did you know Cedric and Cho broke up last month?”
“Lav!” Parvati scolded. “Don’t sound so excited!”
“What?” She shrugged. “I heard it was amicable.”
Ruby laughed, and then felt miffed. She was thoroughly sick of being cut off from everyone.
“Can’t believe it’s O.W.L. year,” said Parvati, yawning. She clearly did not want to linger on the subject of Cedric Diggory.
To be perfectly honest, Ruby had almost forgotten about O.W.L.s.
“I heard Padma’s prefect,” said Lavender.
“Perfect Padma,” Parvati muttered irritably. “Be more like your sister, Parvati! She is such a good girl! You need to be more studious! What's with this messing around in a Divination class! Where will that get you in life?”
“But you’re near the top of the year,” Ruby pointed out.
“But not in Potions,” said Parvati. “And apparently, near is not good enough.”
Just then, two hulking boys pushed their way past, giggling.
...to be continued
I'm thinking of doing something to celebrate Chapter 100 since I just realised we're in the #90s now, but I'm not sure what yet
no-context spoilers (ACA #6)
“Speaking nonsense, Potter?” asked Riddle, almost gloating. “You’re completely helpless … I could do anything to you and you wouldn’t be able to stop me, would you?”
He raised his hand, ropes shooting out the end of his wand again, but this time, Harry was too slow, and the binds shackled his hands and feet together, leaving him writhing on the floor, as helpless as Riddle had said. He shouted at him as Riddle stalked closer, but only incomprehensible babbling came out.
Riddle crouched down next to Harry, peering at him, a lock of dark hair falling almost demurely into his face. He felt the warm point of Riddle’s wand against his forehead, a tiny circle of phoenix fire.
“I could kill you right now, Harry. I could take your life. What will you do to stop me?”
Chapter Six: Death Becomes Her
Harry dreams of his mother's death. Dumbledore makes good on a promise. Tee and Anthony meddle. Ruby faces her Housemates. Read from the beginning at FFN|AO3!
"Don't worry about it, Draco," said Theodore. "She's been funny since the incident last year."
You oily, greasy little sneak. Bile rose in her throat.
"By the way, not sure if any of you noticed, but there's something far more important than Quidditch this year, and that's O.W.L.s," said Daphne primly, and Ruby was grateful for the redirection.
"And some of us," she said, with a pointed glance at Crabbe and Goyle, "might need additional help."
"Oh, and are you volunteering as tutor, Daph?" asked Pansy, turning towards her with a simper. "That's so admirable. I suppose that's why you're the prefect."
"Durmstrang's level of teaching's far more advanced than Hogwarts'," Malfoy bragged. "I'm sure I must be at N.E.W.T. level by now. We started Conjuration fourth year."
Then I wonder who Crabbe and Goyle forced to do their homework.
"If only you could conjure a gag, to keep that running sore in the middle of your face shut," hissed Blaise through his teeth, his high-fashion-model features twisting in disgust.
"You sound like you're warming up to challenge me to a duel, Zabini," said Malfoy, spit flying from his mouth, "which is a really bad idea, because I'll have a lot to explain about your condition to Madam Pomfrey, and we'll both be expelled."
slytherins being slytherins
There has to be. Once upon a time, Harry hadn't believed in magic, or at least, good magic. He'd thought that what he could do was solely horrible and dark and destructive. But then, he'd learnt what his mother had done to save him, that it was possible to prevent or at least forestall the inevitable, to rage, rage against the dying of the light. And no matter what — whether it was a leaf from a tree at the end of the world or a draught from a spring guarded by ten thousand Dementors — he'd find a way, so help him.
-- RFMD #86 (Instruments of Darkness, Chapter 17)