A Headmaster other than Albus
Jan. 22nd, 2012 10:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
oryx_leucoryx posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
deathtocapslockSo 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?
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?
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no subject
Date: 2012-01-25 01:05 am (UTC)This is the guy who let Draco cannonball around Hogwarts setting death traps willy-nilly, which could've killed at least two students. I'm pretty sure 'protecting the students' was not at the top of his list of priorities.
The funny thing is that I clicked onto a post called 'Harry Potter Characterisations, an albus dumbledore rant' because I thought it was a post from this comm and only realized when I started reading that it was actually on fanficrants and protesting the OPPOSITE of what's being argued on this page, that Dumbledore isn't neglectful and would NEVER leave a child in an abusive situation and ofc he has everyone's best interests at heart. LOL.
why didn't Dumbledore ... with Snape, McGonagall and half of the Ministry's Aurors ... just walk up to Quirrell at breakfast one day and 'rescue' him there and then? Or knock on the door of his quarters the second day of the school year? Subject him to a magical test, ask him to take off his turban? Why the whole elaborate plan for a trap?
Jodel's point in the essay, iirc, was that Dumbledore likes to have proof of wrongdoing- having Quirrelmort attempting to break into the Mirror of Erised to get at the stone would have him caught red-handed. Presumably he was going to return with witnesses from the MoM in time to catch Quirrelmort in the act- and then...um, IDK, they'd...de-possess him somehow and get rid of that fragment of Voldemort? No clue.
(Random, but if someone played a prank on Quirrel, say, if the twins snatched away his turban and there's a freaking face on the back of his head, what would people think? I mean, it'd be pretty damn scary, but would anyone be like zomgwtf, that's Voldemort'? Maybe he'd be all like 'no, guys, it's my conjoined twin, it's totes fine, okay'?)
I just feel bad for Quirrell. Everyone assumes he was a baddie in cahoots with Voldy, but who was the fly on the wall that can guarantee he was 100% voluntarily possessed? People are all 'he was ambitious, he was into dark stuff, blah blah blah', but IDK why they'd think this guy would give up his body to the Dark Lord. Obv Ginny didn't volunteer, but it's this big thing that she's rescued, while Quirrell gets sacrificed without a second thought to trying to save him.
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Date: 2012-01-25 01:39 am (UTC)This is the guy who let Draco cannonball around Hogwarts setting death traps willy-nilly, which could've killed at least two students. I'm pretty sure 'protecting the students' was not at the top of his list of priorities.
Thank you for the reminder. Yes, that's a damning indictment of Dumbledore, nothing more is really needed, case closed. But the DH quotes shuffle PS over as more evidence for the prosecution anyway.
Rowling really didn't care at all by the end, did she? I'm pretty sure she wants her readers to see Dumbledore as a Good Guy. Her twist in the last book was that he bordered on evil back when he was a teenager, but was 100% 'good' during all the time he was headmaster, I'm pretty sure that is the official position. And she has Harry assure him that he was 'the best'. No-one EVER slams him for putting the kids in jeopardy (that I know). Malfoy persuades the board to relieve him of duty in CoS due to charges of incompetence, that's all. And Umbridge and Fudge aren't concerned about the kids being in danger, just Dumbledore usurping their political power.
But that Draco thing is there in black and white. And even if he hadn't initially thought that Draco would be so incompetent/careless as to harm other students with his hit-and-miss attitude, after Katie he should have.
... Dumbledore likes to have proof of wrongdoing ...
Yeah, either that, or I thought maybe some (left-wing) readers would laud Dumbledore's being extra-specially conscious of Quirrell's 'rights' and so forth.
I just feel bad for Quirrell. Everyone assumes he was a baddie in cahoots with Voldy, but who was the fly on the wall that can guarantee he was 100% voluntarily possessed?
I don't remember where the assumption came from. I know I've read several fanfics which stated that as fact, or that Quirrell was 'collateral damage', that he couldn't be rescued, it was too late for him. I totally forget what canon evidence there is for that though.
no subject
Date: 2012-01-25 01:59 am (UTC)Mwahaha, how about this one? ^_~
Her twist in the last book was that he bordered on evil back when he was a teenager, but was 100% 'good' during all the time he was headmaster, I'm pretty sure that is the official position.
Not to bring up Snape all the time, but ugh, Dumbles was out to CONQUER THE WORLD AND OPPRESS MUGGLES, he was best buds with the original Dark Wizard way back when, but his reputation's spotless, everyone's all 'aww, but his flaws make him even more perfect because it shows how HUMAN he is!' Meanwhile, no such consideration is given to Snape, he dared to put in his lot with Voldy and he can never be redeemed, he's an evil bigoted racist, etc. etc. when Dumbles was in the same position. Ariana died (possibly by his hand), and he repents, now he's 100% Good Guy; Lily dies (through Snape divulging the prophecy), he repents, BUT HIS SOUL IS FOREVER DAMNED.
/rant.
she has Harry assure him that he was 'the best'. No-one EVER slams him for putting the kids in jeopardy (that I know).
So gross. I can't get over Harry forgiving this guy when he set him up to die, FFS. Harry, the guy characterized by violent temper tantrums, is going to be all 'no, dude, that's cool'?
Malfoy persuades the board to relieve him of duty in CoS due to charges of incompetence, that's all. And Umbridge and Fudge aren't concerned about the kids being in danger, just Dumbledore usurping their political power.
And y'know, these are the BADDIES, so their criticism and vendetta against Dumbledore is proof he's a Good Guy and he's doing the right thing! I would've loved one person on 'the right side' to criticize Dumbledore and have their views taken seriously. (this is why I liked Aberforth, the one person not to buy into the Dumbledore=God BS)
that Draco thing is there in black and white. And even if he hadn't initially thought that Draco would be so incompetent/careless as to harm other students with his hit-and-miss attitude, after Katie he should have.
IFKR? But he was concerned about Draco's ~soul, which, I can't even. IDGI at all. Are we meant to applaud him for wanting to preserve his ~innocence, despite the school being potential collateral damage? (and I can't forgive him for being so dismissive of Snape's soul, like, 'no, kill me, you've already tarnished your soul so badly it won't matter', ugh)
Re: Quirrell, Dumbles keeps referring to him doing crimes instead of making a distinction between him and Voldy (I'm pretty sure nobody is all like GINNY ATTACKED PEOPLE after CoS, it's made clear she wasn't the perpetrator), and then there's comments like the following:
'He left Quirrell to die; he shows just as little mercy to his followers as his enemies...'
'Quirrell, full of hatred, greed, and ambition, sharing his soul with Voldemort, could not touch you for this reason...'
Right, because Dumbles knows FOR SURE that Quirrell was this hateful person who SHARED his soul, uh-huh. *side-eyes the hell out of him*
he couldn't be rescued, it was too late for him
It was too late after the unicorn was slain- up til that point, I'm sure they could've at least TRIED to exorcize Voldy's soul, but after the unicorn blood was ingested, that's like, the point of no return because of reasons. (it's a symbol of purity and killing something that precious...something something, IDK)
ETA. sorry for all the edits. I miss 'comment preview'. *sighs*
no subject
Date: 2012-01-25 03:33 am (UTC)Heh, love it. The expression on her face!
Reminds me of how I felt when I first discovered Livejournal, back in the early days of my being in the fandom. After a few months I discovered the H/Hr community, and the profusion of icons that adorned the posts and comments will always stick in my memory as a large part of my overall impression of those times and that part of the HP readership. The myriad facial expressions of Emma Watson with all the clever tag lines! Such a pretty girl, too.
(I always pitied the H/G side of the fandom, who had a sad paucity of instances of Wright's homely visage to work with.)
But I digress ...
Meanwhile, no such consideration is given to Snape, he dared to put in his lot with Voldy and he can never be redeemed, he's an evil bigoted racist, etc. etc. when Dumbles was in the same position.
Yeah, but don't forget, Snape had bad PR. Because he was a spy he wasn't able to tell everyone OH HI I AM REDEEMED.
I can even understand why Snape's true allegiance had to be kept a secret; 'need to know' makes perfect operational sense. Of course, Rowling's series is a farce because she had Dumbledore trust absolutely no-one else at all as a second-in-command ... but she had to do that to keep her story from falling apart. Anyway, poor Snape wasn't allowed to tell anyone that he was a good guy.
(And as far as he acted, as a teacher at Hogwarts, he was a nasty sod. But that ground has been covered before in this community.)
... so their criticism and vendetta against Dumbledore is proof he's a Good Guy and he's doing the right thing!
It's a pity that we don't have some more clear quotes in DH like the "keep an eye on Quirrell" one that Oryx reminded me of that similarly tells us that Dumbledore knew about the basilisk, or Pettigrew, or Crouch. Instead we've just got the very fuzzy "it was essential ... to let him try his strength" nonsense, which might cover the whole set of Dumbledore-places-everyone-in-needless-jeopardy instances, but has some wriggle room for a staunch pro-Jo Rowling defender.
Are we meant to applaud him for wanting to preserve his ~innocence, despite the school being potential collateral damage?
Ultimately I think we just have to accept that the entire series was as flawed as - gasp! - DH. I mean, the errors are *obvious* in the last book, but then if you work backwards, knowing there's no excuses for things that happened in the past, Rowling's mistakes - well, her "don't look closely, just think what I want you to think because otherwise my story won't make sense" plots - become very clear.
Regarding Quirrell, yes, there's some assumptions made there by the all-knowing - as in, knowing-he-won't-be-contested-in-his-muddled-thinking-and-stupid-plans - Dumbledore. But Rowling took pains to ensure that no good guy held an opposing view or questioned the headmaster - as you've said - so there you go. It was just very lazy writing.
Ultimately there's so much of the series that is left unsaid - or skirted by huge DETOUR! DO NOT GO THERE! road blocks in the plots - that one can only shake one's head at Rowling's horribly lazy writing. Again, this was the most obvious (to me, anyway) in DH, where Harry and Hermione never ever considered options to their passive course through the book. But that sort of thing prevailed in all of the other novels too.
sorry for all the edits. I miss 'comment preview'. *sighs*
Yes, it's a big pain, isn't it? I have no idea why LJ had to rip that feature out when they put the new ones in. Well, time for my own post-and-double-check cycle ...
no subject
Date: 2012-01-25 04:23 am (UTC)No, it's still BS. You let a child "try his strength" by pitting him against peers. What Dumbledore did was pit a child against a superpowerful adult Dark wizard and his tools. That's like having an eight-year-old from Pop Warner football play against an NFL pro team.
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Date: 2012-01-25 10:34 am (UTC)That's like having an eight-year-old from Pop Warner football play against an NFL pro team.
B-but but but what if the eight-year-old from Pop Warner has the Elder Wand? Huh?
*ducks*
:-)
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Date: 2012-01-26 01:26 am (UTC)You're welcome. I understand. There are so many mistakes and problems, no one person can possibly keep up with them all. That's why we need this comm.
B-but but but what if the eight-year-old from Pop Warner has the Elder Wand? Huh?
The last time I checked, wands of any kind aren't used in football. ;-) Besides, Harry didn't have that weapon either, remember?
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Date: 2012-01-26 06:35 am (UTC)I'm sure in all the years they spent duelling each other, someone else would've disarmed Draco and won mastery over his wand, so for us to believe Harry physically disarming him in DH had any relevance...goddamn this plot.
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Date: 2012-01-25 10:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-26 06:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-27 04:52 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-25 04:26 am (UTC)Yeah, whose dumb idea was it to take that feature out? Those of us without paid accounts can't edit at all. Or maybe that was the point--to push more people into getting paid accounts. Too bad for them I'm an excellent proofreader, so that's not going to happen in my case.
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Date: 2012-01-25 04:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-25 10:39 am (UTC)(Best one yet ... at least for a pro-Hr fan like myself.)
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Date: 2012-01-25 10:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-25 10:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-25 10:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-25 11:31 am (UTC)I'm glad I clicked on the link from the e-mail notice. Another perfect choice.
*wonders how long he can keep this going so he can see more of borg_princess's icons*
Uhm ... lovely weather we're having, yeah? :-)
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Date: 2012-01-25 12:05 pm (UTC)I expect two rolls of parchment right away>:P
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Date: 2012-01-26 01:29 am (UTC)I haven't tried. My cynicism caused me to assume that if LJ had changed, it was to make things worse, not better. It never occurred to me that they might have started giving features away.
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Date: 2012-01-25 10:37 am (UTC)I gather it all depends on the 'style' of the LJ post/page. With this particular post of Oyrx's - maybe all the posts on deathtocapslock - I find that I've lost the preview, I'm seeing the funky new fangled AJAX comments, and I can edit.
Five minutes ago I was somewhere else on LJ where it was just like the good old days - there was my 'preview' button, no edit possible.
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Date: 2012-01-25 10:53 am (UTC)In other customized ljs, thankfully, we weren't included in the 'improvements'- I am praying very fervently that TPTB won't somehow override that with their next lot of failtastic fix-its. :/
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Date: 2012-01-25 05:05 am (UTC)Though he is consistently anti-dementors, so that would be why he didn't bring one of these to eat VaporMort. (Wouldn't that have been interesting? Can a dementor eat the main soul if there are Horcruxes of it lying around?)
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Date: 2012-01-25 10:57 am (UTC)ETA. I remember now that it was the Dementor that Lupin faced off against in the train in PoA- it was weakened and that's why it got separated from its fellows and took a while recovering. Even cuter upon reflection. And come on, that name alone- PUMBLECHOOK, hee. <3
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Date: 2012-01-25 09:50 pm (UTC)Awww, Pumblechook.