A Headmaster other than Albus

[oryx_leucoryx]

So here is an idea for an AU scenario. Anyone is free to develop it into a fic, but we can just discuss the what-if:

Sometime between November 2nd 1981 and July 1991 Albus Dumbledore died suddenly. Maybe in some magical mishap, maybe a sudden heart attack, whatever. The important bit is he didn't expect this to happen and had no time to do any ad-hoc cover-ups nor did he have a chance to influence the choice of his replacement or to incorporate his death into some plot. The permanent replacement is chosen by the Board of Governors. If this happens early enough Lucius isn't yet on the board, if later he is on, but probably still trying to earn a reputation as an outstanding member of society who would have never joined forces with Voldemort willingly so I don't think he'd support anyone blatantly against the inclusion of Muggleborns. Anyway, the replacement turns out to be someone not as outwardly impressive as Dumbles - not so showy, with perhaps average or slightly above average magical performance, but a capable administrator with good organizational and interpersonal skills, but most importantly someone who cares about the students' well-being and education. It can be someone from Slughorn's network or even someone who thought well of Albus as long as s/he didn't have a chance to look too closely at how Hogwarts was run, but definitely not an Order member or any other close associate of Dumbles. Maybe an older, more experienced and less idealistic version of Percy.

The members of the Hogwarts staff are as we know them in PS (Care of Magical Creatures is taught by Kettleburn, Hagrid is still a groundskeeper), except for DADA. Depending on timing, Quirrell might be the Muggle Studies teacher. I think the DADA curse should still be active, so the teachers are still being replaced annually (we don't want the new school Head to have it too easy).

So I think this new person shows up and tries to run Hogwarts like a normal school. Some teachers object because that's not the way it was always done, some are relieved to have a professional in charge for a change. The handling of disciplinary matters changes. The inter-House politics change.

And then in the summer of 1991 Quirrell comes back from a sabbatical with a personally transplant. And one Harry Potter oddly doesn't reply to his acceptance letter to Hogwarts. (I doubt the new Head had a reason to look into Harry's situation of hir own initiative earlier, but maybe someone can make a convincing argument for that?) So what now?

Comments

[the-bitter-word.livejournal.com]

I wonder if the Magical World doesn't have a "no child left behind" policy whereby any magical child would be expected to attend Hogwarts unless the child's parents or guardians specifically declined the invitation. Moreover, a supremely special child such as Harry Potter, who was thought to have defeated Voldemort at some 16 months of age, would probably rise to notice as a magical person who should attend Hogwarts, requiring special intervention the school's behalf.

The special treatment of Potter and Gryffindor might have been less under an impartial Headmaster. As is the way with these stories, Harry would have had his destiny to fulfill, but perhaps with less senseless, collateral damage, with less dysfunctional mumbo jumbo in communication. The Headmaster might have shown less favoritism, might have had less tolerance for Harry's out-of-bounds behavior.

I imagine a conflicted and guilt-ridden, but nonetheless determined, Snape would have had to be his mentor. Snape had the most accessible knowledge of the Prophecy, what happened to Harry's parents, and his role in the whole affair.

It could have been a complex, mature story, without the pat, "because I say so" solutions the author offered.

[malic-ba.livejournal.com]

What you say, as always, makes so much sense.
I'm just having trouble with the word 'blossom' wrt our favourite Slytherin :D