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Oct. 24th, 2009 12:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fpbBreaking the Curse, chapter 1
“The reason I have called you together today,” said Headmistress Minerva McGonagall, as her eyes swept over the assembled wizards and witches, “is that I have to ask you to perform the impossible. Or, if not the impossible, then something that Albus Dumbledore found impossible… which, to my mind, comes to much the same thing.
“Before Thomas Riddle started open hostilities, he had already struck one blow against Dumbledore and Hogwarts,” she went on. Lucius Malfoy nodded thoughtfully. “The curse on the Defence post,” he murmured.
“Exactly. It took Albus a couple of years to realize it, but since then his professional life has been bedevilled by the constant need to find someone to fill one of the most important posts in the school.”
“It did his reputation outside Hogwarts no good, either.” This was a rumble from Spartacus Jones, an old Auror somewhat in the mold of the late Alastor Moody. A few of those assembled glared at him. “What? I’m just telling it as it is! A lot of people in the Ministry and elsewhere thought he’d lost it, that he could not manage any more, because every year he had to find a new DADA teacher!”
“Absolutely,” agreed Minerva McGonagall. “And few people knew how much work he put into finding and breaking the curse – and how, year after year, he came up empty. It was a heartbreaking effort, one of many burdens he bore without telling anyone, indeed without showing the marks – because he felt that many things depended on leaving an impression of unbroken strength.” She looked at Lucius Malfoy, hard. “We never doubted that if anyone ever caught any sense that the strong hand was feeling the burden of its duties in any way, the enemy would immediately take advantage.” Lucius just nodded.
“The long and the short of it is that Albus Dumbledore failed to find and break this curse. And I am not vain enough to imagine that I can succeed where he failed – and failed for forty years.
“That is why I have called on you all,” she said, her eyes taking in a room full of wizards and witches. “I want this curse broken, and broken in short order. The school simply cannot go on with it looming over us year after year. It is bad enough that we cannot get rid of one useless teacher, short of exorcising him –“ nearly everyone in the room smiled – “bad enough to have to teach one course in which I personally have no confidence” – a couple of glances stole towards Cassandra Trelawney’s quarters – “I am simply not willing to accept a third course that does not work. Already by Albus’ final years, he was having to bring in people with no formal teaching background. I am not disposed to run this school on an emergency basis permanently.”
Neville Longbottom spoke up, startling several people – they had almost forgotten he was present. “Why not abolish the course as such? And start again with a different name? I don’t know, Tactics And Strategy, or whatever?” The Malfoys looked both startled and appreciative. “Try to confuse the curse, you mean? By changing some of the specifics? That is rather Slytherin, Longbottom,” said Narcissa with a quick flash of a smile.
The Headmistress, however, looked rather less convinced. “We might,” she said, “but that already failed once. I don’t suppose anyone remembers, but eighteen years ago the Defence course was replaced for one year by ‘Aspects of the Magical World’. The curriculum was reworked as much as we dared… and we still lost a teacher at the end of the year. After that, Albus felt that Riddle must have created a curse elaborate enough to reach anything that had a fighting the dark arts aspect.” Bill Weasley nodded grimly; he knew such curses were possible.
“And that is why I have called you all together, here, today. I am hoping that where one solitary genius, however astounding, failed, teamwork and a diversity of approaches may succeed.
“We have here experienced investigators,” and her eyes rested on Spartacus Jones and a clutch of scarred, grizzled Aurors; “a well-known curse breaker familiar with their nature and power and all the worst they can do,” and she nodded towards Bill Weasley, “our best young expert on magical plants and their powers, more suited than anyone else to investigate the grounds and the Forest,” Neville Longbottom blushed, “a team of young adventurers who have proved amazingly capable at working against the odds, and who combine academic excellence, extreme boldness, and firm common sense” – Hermione Granger, Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley all looked uncomfortable – “and two people who, in addition to their remarkable personal qualities and powers, have as much understanding of Thomas Riddle’s mind as anyone still alive and free today. And who are very motivated to help unmake the heritage of their former lord.” Minerva’s glance met Lucius and Narcissa; and, for a second, her eyes blazed.
“How much time have we got?” asked Bill Weasley, used to work to contract for the Goblins.
“I don’t expect you to manage it in a day… or in a week or a month, come to that. It will take work and possibly luck as well. You will all be able to lodge in Hogwarts while you are working on this project, unless” – Lucius had shifted in his seat – “you prefer to stay at home and come here every morning. But I will say this. I am not disposed to go on year after year just about keeping the course going, with a new teacher every September. If by the start of the next academic year none of you managed to locate the curse, then I will close down Hogwarts and start again somewhere else – somewhere free of curses and all the impedimenta of a dead past.”
“NO!” shouted Narcissa Malfoy, as much in astonishment as in anger. “You must not!”
“Mrs. Malfoy?”
“You just can’t! This is a part of everyone’s life… the happiest days, the youth and colour and love of all our lives! It’s at the heart of everything…” Narcissa almost sobbed. “Nothing else could ever be the same. No wizard and no witch in Britain… even the Dark Lord…” And her voice died down in confusion.
“I’ve already had discussions with the Ministry. Plans for a new school are being drawn up as we speak – with the hope that we never have to use them. But if we are forced from this site, at least we will not have to start from scratch.
“I do understand your feelings, Mrs. Malfoy. I think every one of us here shares them. But we have come to the end of the line with this. And if you hate the idea of a new school, this will motivate you to succeed in your work.”
“The reason I have called you together today,” said Headmistress Minerva McGonagall, as her eyes swept over the assembled wizards and witches, “is that I have to ask you to perform the impossible. Or, if not the impossible, then something that Albus Dumbledore found impossible… which, to my mind, comes to much the same thing.
“Before Thomas Riddle started open hostilities, he had already struck one blow against Dumbledore and Hogwarts,” she went on. Lucius Malfoy nodded thoughtfully. “The curse on the Defence post,” he murmured.
“Exactly. It took Albus a couple of years to realize it, but since then his professional life has been bedevilled by the constant need to find someone to fill one of the most important posts in the school.”
“It did his reputation outside Hogwarts no good, either.” This was a rumble from Spartacus Jones, an old Auror somewhat in the mold of the late Alastor Moody. A few of those assembled glared at him. “What? I’m just telling it as it is! A lot of people in the Ministry and elsewhere thought he’d lost it, that he could not manage any more, because every year he had to find a new DADA teacher!”
“Absolutely,” agreed Minerva McGonagall. “And few people knew how much work he put into finding and breaking the curse – and how, year after year, he came up empty. It was a heartbreaking effort, one of many burdens he bore without telling anyone, indeed without showing the marks – because he felt that many things depended on leaving an impression of unbroken strength.” She looked at Lucius Malfoy, hard. “We never doubted that if anyone ever caught any sense that the strong hand was feeling the burden of its duties in any way, the enemy would immediately take advantage.” Lucius just nodded.
“The long and the short of it is that Albus Dumbledore failed to find and break this curse. And I am not vain enough to imagine that I can succeed where he failed – and failed for forty years.
“That is why I have called on you all,” she said, her eyes taking in a room full of wizards and witches. “I want this curse broken, and broken in short order. The school simply cannot go on with it looming over us year after year. It is bad enough that we cannot get rid of one useless teacher, short of exorcising him –“ nearly everyone in the room smiled – “bad enough to have to teach one course in which I personally have no confidence” – a couple of glances stole towards Cassandra Trelawney’s quarters – “I am simply not willing to accept a third course that does not work. Already by Albus’ final years, he was having to bring in people with no formal teaching background. I am not disposed to run this school on an emergency basis permanently.”
Neville Longbottom spoke up, startling several people – they had almost forgotten he was present. “Why not abolish the course as such? And start again with a different name? I don’t know, Tactics And Strategy, or whatever?” The Malfoys looked both startled and appreciative. “Try to confuse the curse, you mean? By changing some of the specifics? That is rather Slytherin, Longbottom,” said Narcissa with a quick flash of a smile.
The Headmistress, however, looked rather less convinced. “We might,” she said, “but that already failed once. I don’t suppose anyone remembers, but eighteen years ago the Defence course was replaced for one year by ‘Aspects of the Magical World’. The curriculum was reworked as much as we dared… and we still lost a teacher at the end of the year. After that, Albus felt that Riddle must have created a curse elaborate enough to reach anything that had a fighting the dark arts aspect.” Bill Weasley nodded grimly; he knew such curses were possible.
“And that is why I have called you all together, here, today. I am hoping that where one solitary genius, however astounding, failed, teamwork and a diversity of approaches may succeed.
“We have here experienced investigators,” and her eyes rested on Spartacus Jones and a clutch of scarred, grizzled Aurors; “a well-known curse breaker familiar with their nature and power and all the worst they can do,” and she nodded towards Bill Weasley, “our best young expert on magical plants and their powers, more suited than anyone else to investigate the grounds and the Forest,” Neville Longbottom blushed, “a team of young adventurers who have proved amazingly capable at working against the odds, and who combine academic excellence, extreme boldness, and firm common sense” – Hermione Granger, Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley all looked uncomfortable – “and two people who, in addition to their remarkable personal qualities and powers, have as much understanding of Thomas Riddle’s mind as anyone still alive and free today. And who are very motivated to help unmake the heritage of their former lord.” Minerva’s glance met Lucius and Narcissa; and, for a second, her eyes blazed.
“How much time have we got?” asked Bill Weasley, used to work to contract for the Goblins.
“I don’t expect you to manage it in a day… or in a week or a month, come to that. It will take work and possibly luck as well. You will all be able to lodge in Hogwarts while you are working on this project, unless” – Lucius had shifted in his seat – “you prefer to stay at home and come here every morning. But I will say this. I am not disposed to go on year after year just about keeping the course going, with a new teacher every September. If by the start of the next academic year none of you managed to locate the curse, then I will close down Hogwarts and start again somewhere else – somewhere free of curses and all the impedimenta of a dead past.”
“NO!” shouted Narcissa Malfoy, as much in astonishment as in anger. “You must not!”
“Mrs. Malfoy?”
“You just can’t! This is a part of everyone’s life… the happiest days, the youth and colour and love of all our lives! It’s at the heart of everything…” Narcissa almost sobbed. “Nothing else could ever be the same. No wizard and no witch in Britain… even the Dark Lord…” And her voice died down in confusion.
“I’ve already had discussions with the Ministry. Plans for a new school are being drawn up as we speak – with the hope that we never have to use them. But if we are forced from this site, at least we will not have to start from scratch.
“I do understand your feelings, Mrs. Malfoy. I think every one of us here shares them. But we have come to the end of the line with this. And if you hate the idea of a new school, this will motivate you to succeed in your work.”
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no subject
Date: 2009-10-25 07:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-25 07:29 pm (UTC)"Voldemort thinks he's one bad dude, but his wand is no match for.... Spartacus Jones!"
Okay, I'll stop now before this becomes a crack!fic. :D
no subject
Date: 2009-10-25 07:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-25 07:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-25 07:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-28 05:26 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-28 05:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-28 07:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-28 08:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-28 10:44 pm (UTC)Professor Badass was one of the image macros which circulated extensively a few years back -- think of the phenomenon as a relative of the cat pictures.
As for the association, I think part of the reason for the name association is the modern US black cultural habit of giving children exotic, invented, or classical names which don't necessarily jibe with the ethnicity of the family name. Other subcultures tend not to do this so much (today). Combined with a simple/generic family name, characters with names like this are often heroic, or larger-than-life, at least in American fiction -- consider some of the roles Samuel L. Jackson gets cast as: "Lorenzo Council", "Augustus Gibbons", "Lucius Best", "Elijah Price", "Zeus Carver" -- hardly the majority of his roles, but such names tend to be associated with the type of characters he typically plays.
On the other hand, I expect most UK readers with any background would make the communist association for the same reason you do.
no subject
Date: 2009-10-28 08:32 pm (UTC)