turbinicarpus
Formerly 'Pahan'
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And they all lived happily ever after, in peace and harmony. I take it it's just a short epilogue after this?
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And they all lived happily ever after, in peace and harmony. I take it it's just a short epilogue after this?
So Voldemort is dead, but the resistance has taken some more losses. Mad Eye has apparently also died. Meanwhile the ministry seems to have also lost some scrub tier aurors.
Bones might get ideas... On the other hand the political players of the revolution are still in play and might mobilize more supporters, now that they've won against Voldemort. Once the main forces of the old regime are defeated the revolution tends to win in support after all.
Anyway, how did Harry do this exactly? Voldemort had more than enough backups, but I get the feeling Harry somehow managed to hit them all? Or is Voldi going to come back next chapter?
Dumbledore recited the Prophecy Harry and Ron already knew, then continued: "...and he and the Dark Lord will be one, and either will crush the other, for neither can let the other survive or they will lose what they hold most dear. The one with the power to defeat the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month ends."
So Voldemort backed up the hardware, but forgot to make copies of the software...As the prophecy in this story declared:
Harry crushed Voldemort in his/their mind. There's nothing left for the Horcruxes to anchor.
So Voldemort backed up the hardware, but forgot to make copies of the software...
He did, actually, in the form of the Diary!Riddle.He didn't know that the connection to Harry was that strong/deep.
And he likely had some misgivings to "backup" his mind - there would have been a chance that he'd duplicate himself.
But how much of a danger is this really? If you had something like the diary, but inactive and regularily updating from his main mind? It would activate if his main mind was destroyed, otherwise It just hibernate and serve as a normal Horcrux.Indeed. And in canon, his next Horcruxes were not quite as "sapient", so he might have realised the danger.
But how much of a danger is this really? If you had something like the diary, but inactive and regularily updating from his main mind? It would activate if his main mind was destroyed, otherwise It just hibernate and serve as a normal Horcrux.
Though honestly if I was a dark lord I wouldn't use horcruxes, I'd take dementor victims, obliviate their brains and overwrite those with my own memories. Then I'd anchor my soul to them and put them in stasis. If my main body got killed my soul would just flash over to the spare body and even if someone wiped my memories, I'd still have the backups.
If I took a muggle (assuming magic is soul based and not genetic) this would even give me a free identity that I could use to move around unrecongnised until I'm ready to strike at the person that killed me. Or just decide to fuck this shit and retire as an evil overlord.
This was not gloating. This was an attempt at psychological warfare aimed at demoralising Harry - something quite useful when you're locked in a willpower duel inside your mind.
I think you really don't get that the half-bloods are not purebloods, and are not stupid. They know they are not purebloods, and that absent muggleborns, they'd be the lowest of the low. They all have either muggle or muggleborn relatives. And not all of them are willing to cut those relatives off just to suck up to the purebloods. Their views would be more like those of the French who became collateral damage in WW2 when the allies attacked. Best to imagine half-bloods as people of mixed race descent, either in the Deep South 1860 to 1940, or in South Africa, Apartheid era. So, they might see the Resistance as too ruthless or uncaring - but they'll compare them to the Ministry, who wanted to persecute their families.
Well, it's mostly a question of how much injustice and bigotry will the Resistance and the Order accept, in order to not keep on fighting. And of how much power the Old Families will be willing to lose in order to not risk getting massacred, French Revolution style, in case they lose a war that results from not giving in. Basically: How tired are the different sides of the war? Just how much do they want to have peace? Enough to tolerate uncouth mudbloods in power? Enough to leave some bigoted assholes in charge?
But, to be honest: The current Wizarding Britain is a ruined country. It's corrupt, bigoted, and has no concept of human rights.
Oh, yes. But for example, she'd argue that with Voldemort dead and his Death Eaters gone, the deal was done, and now the Resistance would have to obey the law.
As I said, Amelia already sees the mere existence of the Resistance as such a crime. Incidentally, she considers the Order illegal as well. And Amelia has a rather big problem with "justified by war" for any crime.
A country that is acting like Nazi Germany in the 1930s will and should be considered like Nazi Germany. Especially if you're among those treated like the Jews back then.
Yes, there is a reason to fear. They were still supporting an evil system willing to sacrifice the rights of part of the population to avoid a war. It would be bad if they had nothing to worry. Because such a thing cannot be allowed to be repeated. And for that, people have to realise that it was unjust and bad - and evil.
Objectively, the whole war is the fault of the Ministry and the Death Eaters. Now, people will not see it the same way. And many will blame Hermione for doing what she had to to win this war. That doesn't make them right. And That woman poisoning Hermione would neither be justified nor would such an action be appropriate. She would be an either unwitting or uncaring supporter of the Death Eaters and the evil system in place.
They're not exactly unbiased. Of course people who do not want to join the Old families will claim they don't care about their customs. But other poor purebloods who have the opportunity to marry up? You can bet that a number of them would have assimilated rapidly.
You are mixing things up. The Old Families are the rich upper class - the aristocracy. They do not contain a "criminal class". The Death Eaters will contain a number of poor purebloods, most of them useful fools fighting in order to have a chance to raise in status, and a few who will actually raise in status, should they win. Also, if you're middle class, aka "poor", you're not Old Family. The Old Families are the rich upper class. Lose your money/influence/mansion, and you'll not be an Old Family anymore - they'll cut you out. You can compensate for some, of course. The Blacks could have lost quite a lot of money and land, as long as they kept their curses sharp, so to speak, and had the minimum to keep up.
If you're a poor relative to an Old Family, you're not a member of an Old Family. I think you still don't get just how tiny the Old Families actually are, when things come down to it. It's really best to consider them an aristocracy where, if you are not rich enough to maintain the trappings of your stature, you're kicked out. The head of the Old Family controls the money, and through it, the rest of the family. Cousin (twice removed) Elsbeth Runcorn might be a member of the family by blood, and even consider herself one, but unless she's invited to the ball the Head is throwing, or presented there, no one of the other families will consider her truly Old Family.
If one side is fighting the Nazis, and you fight that side, you're helping the Nazis. If fighting them is more important than fighting Nazis, you've some really sick priorities.
Lots of reasons, but each and everyone of them should have known that if you visit a Death Eater ball, you take a risk. And if that means you die, you're at fault. We'll have to agree to disagree here.
And yes, there will be some who share your view - but then, that view won't be popular outside Death Eater and Old Family circles. Because you know - each and everyone one there was an Old Family member in good standing. And trust me, not many of the peasants, having finally seen a hope to change the system, will show much sympathy for the aristoccrats.
Effectively, they add legitimacy to the KKK through their presence. I don't see how it makes the story shallower - it's not as if the characters follow my moral views. I abhor the death penalty, for example, and most characters will ask for it for the Death Eaters.
And she's smart enough to realise that the acquaintance would have betrayed her anyway. Those who choose family over justice are enemies of any modern civilisation since ultimately, they oppose the rule of law.
I'm not quite certain what you mean by "adding that Huffelpuff was split". From Chapter 6:
But ultimately, nothing much came from that. Compared to the actual war, that was a side-show at best. Now, the different sides will have to sort out what kind of country they want, and what kind of country they can have. And yes, Hermione will have to deal with people fearing and hating her. But, as I said - they are wrong. Just as Draco and Daphne were wrong.
How many such classes do we have in the real world? Yes, such a class would - probably - be useful, but you can adapt to a culture without a class.
Not to mention that it's also prone to abuse if a teacher is biased.
Just imagine "pureblood culture" taught by Narcissa Malfoy, or by Molly Weasley. One will try to justify an evil system, spread bigoted values, and try to instill a sense of inferiority among muggleborns. All under the guise of teaching them about pureblood culture. The other will try to teach the kids how to deal with magic, but might lack the understanding needed to know what they start out with. Ideally, it'd be someone raised in both worlds, but then they'd be likely a half-blood, and probably biased as well.
And that's why I'm not a writer. I tried to write something small and humorous about how it would look like from the outside, if the outside could see inside Voldemorts mind. I failed.
You've seen my comments and complaints, if I intended to comment about a part it is usually a bit clearer.
You don't seem to get the point I'm trying to make or I haven't been clear enough. The man on the street should see the resistance as at the very least somewhat indiscriminate when going after their targets. More likely they would be seen as not caring at all about possible collateral damage. (Yes, we agree about that, somewhat.) That's fine and well when their opinion doesn't matter, when they have no choice but to live with the resistance or when the resistance is seen as maybe the least of the evils. Hermione, because of what I believe to be quite understandable reasons as well as a lack of experience went for a blanket pardon for future events, instead of using the propaganda opportunity a blanket pardon for past events, a limited pardon for future events during the war, a code of engagement and a code of military justice would have given her.
Now, why would the opinion of the common pureblood and the common halfblood about the resistance matter? Why do I believe that the man on the street, the unimportant majority, should be important to her? Because of what you've shown Hermione to be aiming for. Some form of democracy. And Hermione has been shown to wants in on the decision making, to ensure that there won't be problems for muggleborn in a few years time. She actually said as much if I recall correctly. So if a large part of the population sees her and her organization as ruthless and uncaring, she won't be part of any decision making process once elections occur, because the muggleborn are the minority, and the majority will look at her, then look at the old pureblood politicians and say "A Plague on both your houses".
If democracy comes in both the Old Pureblood Families and the Muggleborn resistance loses. They just don't have the numbers.
But what actually is going to happen is something I'm anxiously waiting for you to show.
Actually, if the war is done instead of just shifting to a war between the ministry and the resistance, I agree with her. Hammer out the peace and disband the resistance and the order, perhaps absorbing those who wish it into some new kind of Army/Aurors/whatever, or go back to war and finish it. Things like the resistance are bad for a country and once it has completed its purpose it needs to go, before Hermione has an accident and a new leader steps up and uses it to become President For Life.
A question. Are you referring to the year 1930 to 31 July 1932 or the period 1930 to 1939 with all the bad stuff compressed? Because Voldemort did not take over the country I have not even browsed through anything after Hitler's take over, since it is too depressing. (I looked through a bit years ago, when I was young. I've been a bit of a pessimist when it comes to humans since about that time as well, and it's only gotten worse. Strange coincidence, isn't it?)
All right, what were the evil laws shown as passed that they acted on, because I really can't recall that much that could obviously be called evil?
But seriously now. Hermione was in charge. Hermione decided what actions to take. That means that Hermione is responsible for any actions she and the resistance took. Any mistakes are ultimately her responsibility. Any successes are ultimately hers. (Enemy action however are not on her shoulders.)
As to killing Hermione for actions she took or choices she made? She decided to go ahead and use a bomb, which isn't a precision weapon. She decided how to use the bomb. She decided when to use the bomb. She was not competent with the weapon she chose. There was no interference from an enemy. What occurred rests on her head.
Now, in the "what if" I used, why is killing Hermione not justified? Because the poisoning wasn't intended? That's no defence. A bomb isn't a precision weapon and she targeted a shop. During working hours. It is unreasonable to believe that additional casualties weren't a very strong possibility. The poison made it worse, but it wasn't a precision weapon and additional innocent casualties were very possible without it.
Because it was an act of war? It wasn't, it was a guerrilla organization making an example of somebody, a civilian, in his place of business, during working hours, which isn't an act of war, it's an act of terror.
Because she didn't intend to harm anybody but her target? Bombs are weapons with a blast radius, they're not precise, and using a bomb shows you don't care about possible innocent casualties. So please, tell me what your reasoning is for saying it isn't justified?
I did not say that the Old Families contain a criminal class. I said that the Old Family purebloods "contain everything from what I would consider ruling class to middle class (perhaps even lower)". I said that because we've been shown ruling class Purebloods as well as Old Family Purebloods working as Aurors, two that I can recall, and, so far as I can recall, there were no comments to the effect that he was "slumming" or anything similar. So, from ruling class to what I would consider middle class is shown.
Now, your statement that "if you're middle class, aka "poor", you're not Old Family" makes sense and was supported in story in a discussion about the Weasleys I think, but on my side I saw a difference between the family's wealth and the individual's wealth. In other words, an individual might not have the job, home or spending capital to be considered an upper class individual, but if the family itself had enough resources the family was an Old Family. The Aurors shown and the fact that you've previously likened Old Pureblood Families to clans made me come to that conclusion. If that is wrong, I hope that you understand why I came to that conclusion.
No, it makes you somebody who had a person you loved killed. Something I think few people will be calm and objective about. In fact, anybody who is calm and objective after somebody close to them is killed is somebody I would say has mental problems.
Had war been declared? No, the ministry was busy grovelling. Had there previously been any attacks? No. So, to the best of their knowledge there wasn't any risk. Parents took their kids, something a parent wouldn't do if they believed there was a risk. So seven of those possible reasons, saying they're at fault, well, if we disagree about them we most definitely disagree.
There is a rather large difference between "a suck up" and lending legitimacy through presence, and the original term used was "sucked up". And if we're talking about lending legitimacy through presence then all the various reasons why somebody could feel they had to go comes into play again.
Recall that I mentioned turned away, not knifed in the back. Although that is a possibility, I assume Hermione's acquaintances (not friends, since I don't think she has any real friend except Ron and Harry) would require certain standards.
"Those who choose family over justice are enemies of any modern civilisation since ultimately, they oppose the rule of law."
So, justice comes from the rule of law which is what allows modern civilization?
Firstly, war hadn't been declared. There were no previous attacks. Now, Hermione's actions weren't good or just in my opinion. Necessary for the defeat of Voldemort? Yes. Better than what the Ministry or Voldemort would have done if unopposed? Most definitely? Good? No, because those killed included children and the uninvolved, making it not good but needed. So where is the resolution and the justice? Where are the attempts at judgements, the evidence, the anything? Nowhere. Instead of an attempt at justice there is a blanket pardon.
Secondly, Hermione Granger, Dumbledore and Voldemort. Each of these three were shown to be of the opinion that their power (personal and / or that available through the organizations they controlled) allowed them the ability (and in some cases the right) to change the country as they wanted. What does that have to do with justice, the rule of law and modern civilization? Absolutely nothing. It has to with power and enforcing what the powerful want, need or consider to be best. Now, while I might agree with what has been shown as planned, I must say that it isn't rule of law, it is might makes right. So, forcing a blanket pardon to be given because you want it for your allies (Dumbledore) and you need it for yourself and your organization (Hermione) isn't a matter of rule of law.
So, no rule of law, no justice and no modern civilization. That is the current Wizardling World that has been shown.
"Adding a sentence about Hufflepuf being split and a paragraph about Hermione not meeting her acquaintance due to the bombing would show the bombing of Malfoy Manor as affecting more people than just Draco, Pansy, Astoria, Daphne and Tracy."
Actually, looking back I would have expected that plus a number of other things to have quite an effect on Hogwarts, if you consider it cumulatively.
Consider, Umbridge assigned obviously unfair and biased punishments, torturing a number of students, and Dumbledore and McGonagall at the very least were not seen as protecting the children. Then the older muggleborn were expelled and again Dumbledore was not seen as protecting them. A number of students and family members of students were killed in a surprise bombing attack, which should have upset quite a few children. Then the Slytherins stand collapsed and Dubledore blamed Voldemort. Which leads to Voldemort's followers considering the school unsafe for their children, because he'll advise he didn't order anything and his followers didn't do anything. Which leads to the children considering it unsafe as well. It also leads to those who oppose Voldemort considering the school unsafe, because Dumbledore told them Voldemort is able to arrange a false flag operation inside Hogwarts. So that leads to more scarred parents and students. Frankly, a large number of parents who cared about their children should have gotten their kids out of Hogwarts, leaving it rather empty.
Which should have affected Dumbledore politically and should have affected the school as well, even if was just a mention about how empty it seemed.
As to people hating and fearing Hermione, that should affect her future, especially if she tries to be politically active.
Google confirmed that the US Armed Forces have at least some cultural classes / training before deploying in other countries. I also saw https://www.iom.int/migrant-training and a few other things.
Now, you as a new immigrant can adapt to a culture without such a class. But how many mistakes are you going to make? In the real world, depending upon the country, these mistakes can be the death of you, whether through getting yourself killed through ignorance in Canada, bears aren't teddies, or by breaking a law that you don't know exists in Saudi Arabia.
Magic offers a lot of options, and muggleborn haven't been taught by their parents all those habits, customs and manners that reduce the chance bad things happening to them. In fact, I would be surprised if a number of those habits, customs and manners don't seem stupid or old fashioned. A chaperone seems stupid and old fashioned to me in the real world, but in a world where love potions and mind affecting spells are a reality a chaperone could save a girl from an abusive marriage, or rape and a memory charm. And that's just one stupid custom I can think of that isn't actually stupid.
And this is why you need a headmaster that cares about the competence of teachers, the quality of their classes, how they treat the children they teach and the safety measures.
In your examples above a competent headmaster does not get Narcissa Malfoy or Molley Weasley to teach the class. They rather advertise the position and interview a number of applicants. They also take the time to look at an outline of the various teaching plans and once somebody has been selected there is a trial period. And abuse of students like Fake Moody or Snape should get warnings followed by dismissal.
So the new teacher would be the best of the lot and the headmaster would keep abuse from happening.
You seem to forget that the muggleborns and the half-bloods combined are the majority. And as I keep pointing out: Both those groups don't like the Old Families. Kill a few purebloods indiscriminately? A few rich purebloods? And a few traitors? How much does the majority of the US care about families of terrorists blown apart by Predator-carried Hellfire missiles? The common pureblood might be more concerned, yes. But the real problem is not "the majority of the people are disgusted and afraid of the Resistance". It's "the majority of the people thinks that the Resistance might not have gone far enough if those Nazi purebloods still think they can rule us". Imagine South Africa, with the Apartheid hanging in the balance, and Mandela dead and the White Government weakened.
"Beckett's Potions is in the middle of a street, with many other houses nearby. A poor section of the Alley, where muggleborns and poorer half-bloods live." And the kind of creatures not tolerated in Diagon Alley. "If we hurt them, we harm ourselves."
The Resistance only loses at Democracy if the muggleborns and the half-bloods vote for purebloods. Historical examples seem to indicate that people will not do that.
A government who does not recognise human rights or democracy is worse than the Resistance. Far, far, far worse. We don't need to discuss this point further - the Ministry cannot be allowed to continue without vast reforms.
And she knew they'd cause trouble or worse for the country - that they extorted a blanket pardon from her proved that.
1939. They have the race laws, the Reichskristallnacht, but they are not yet full-on genocide. That's my point you seem to miss - the Ministry has revealed itself to be a fascist government in line with Nazi Germany.
Racist, bigoted laws like the Nazis. A racist attitude, like the KKK, and wide-spread abuse of power. As I keep saying - they pretty much did all that the Nazis did, until WW2. And if that's not evil, then we don't need to discuss this point further.
Ron skimmed one. "Doesn't seem like it's something bad. Just a new bunch of rules."
She sighed. "It's in the details. Not many of them are openly discriminatory, but each has the potential to be abused. Easily." She pointed at the scroll he had in hand. "See there? The new hiring standards could easily be twisted to bar muggleborns. The tests for the existing staff members offer the same potential. There's no standard testing, so it all depends on whoever does the testing. Can you imagine Umbridge passing anyone she doesn't like? She just has to grill them on the intricacies of pureblood society until they make a mistake, no matter how tiny. Or," she added with grim expression, "she can invent a new 'tradition' just to make them fail."
She took a deep breath, to the relief of her friends, and continued: "The new laws concerning businesses are less obvious, they mostly concern new standards for business with corresponding inspections, but the potential for abuse is there as well - it would be enough to simply be stricter with muggleborn-owned shops than with pureblood-owned. Or let it be known that those businesses who employed muggleborns in 'unsuitable' positions would face stricter and more frequent inspections."
We obviously disagree about the justifications of a war. Basically: If you're fighting Nazi Germany, collateral damage is acceptable. Basically, if the French Resistance wasn't a criminal organisation, then the Muggleborn Resistance isn't one either. That doesn't mean that everything they did was good, and that they made no mistakes.
Aurors are not middle class. Aurors and Hit-Wizards are the armed forces of the Ministry. Of course the ruling class needs a presence there, just in case the plebs get ideas.
I think we should drop that point. I maintain that anyoine taking revenge for the death of a criminals is wrong. Understandable as their reasons may be, they are still utterly wrong and should be punished.
Tough shit. So the Nazi upper class didn't realise what crimes their country was doing? Their own damn fault. Really, as much as I understand the tragedy - and hope I described that well enough - personally, I consdier that acceptable collateral damage. If the British had blown up the Sportpalast to kill Hitler and his regime, I'd consider all of the people who attended acceptable collateral damage as well.
And, honestly, if you're not ostracising scum like Malfoy, who openly acted as the Dark Lord's mouth piece, you are taking his side.
We disagree there. I consider self-defense against a Nazi regime to cover all of the Resistance's actions (otherwise they'd be criminal indeed). So, in my opinion, her actions were legal - she had no alternatives.
At the time, Hermione was avoiding all of the wizards and witches left in Wizarding Britain.
Yes. But then again - many muggleborns might like her even more if the pureblood scum hates her. And it would make it very easy to paint all of them who hate her as Death Eaters - which would, again, facilitate matters in politics. Like getting painted as a Nazi works still in Germany to pretty much remove someone from politics.
Might have been. But then - in the current situation, the whole culture is about to get shaken up.
That is if there are such teachers available in the first place.
The attack on Knockturn Alley hit halfbloods, muggleborn and I assume the poorerest purebloods. Combined with the attack on Malfoy manor this shows the halfbloods as well as any purebloods, muggleborn and creatures a picture (true or not) of the resistance being indiscriminate when it comes to killing their targets. To use your Predator-carried Hellfire missiles analogy, it wasn't used on the families of terrorists, the missiles weren't used to take out terrorists, they were used on a shopping mall during Black Friday to kill one person, additional deaths not mattering.
So, halfbloods, purebloods and possibly even muggleborn (if said muggleborn lived in Knockturn Alley or had friends and/or family in Knockturn Alley) have reason to see the resistance as uncaring or brutal when it is time to vote.
I expect muggleborns to vote for muggleborn candidates for the new Wizengamot. (With a certain number voting for whoever represents the resistance or whoever is backed by the resistance. Also, for a certain number voting against whoever represents the resistance or whoever is backed by the resistance because of friends and family killed in the Knockturn Alley bombing.)
I expect halfbloods to vote for halfblood candidates for the new Wizengamot.
I expect common purebloods to vote for common pureblood candidates for the new Wizengamot.
And I expect old family purebloods to vote for old family pureblood candidates for the new Wizengamot.
So the resistance and the old family purebloods lose, having the least, if any, representatives on the new democratic Wizengamot. (Unless of course the election is rigged or one needs certain qualifications to be eligible as a candidate.)
I did say hammer out the peace or go back to war. It needs to be finished, and all individuals either need some say in their government or the ability to gain some say in their government, which democracy either provides or at least provides the illusion of.
They had race laws? Yes. Discrimination? Yes. Abuse of power? Yes. The forced relocation's, outright theft, ghettos and concentration camps? No. That is my point. They aren't as bad as Nazis. Would the country have ended up there if Voldemort took over? Yes, it probably would have become as bad, but he didn't take over.
I thought the laws passed weren't evil, just open to abuse as discussed below. Did I forget anything?
The French Resistance committed acts that I do consider war crimes, as did the French Government. Those that ordered those acts should have been charged, but, and please remember that I am no scholar or historian, I do not recall it being mentioned. Let me use google quickly. Here are two websites, wikipedia (which is our friend) and one called Uncensored History.
But seriously, that wasn't attacking Voldemort, the Death Eaters or Ministry forces. That was a terror attack to scare people so that they would not act against the resistance.
Policemen and soldiers aren't upper class. At least, the policemen I knew weren't upper class, straight middle class and lower middle class.
Calling Astoria and Daphne Nazi's at that point in time, frankly, calling any non Deatheather a Nazi is lessening the impact the term Nazi should have. Say they were bigoted, say they were bad, say they were on their way down towards becoming a Nazi even. But what the Nazi did and what Nazi Germany was... The worst you've shown in this story doesn't come close.
Hey, going to a ball because your parents told you to isn't taking his side. Going to try and ensure the safety of your family or workers because you see the ministry and Dumbledore as useless isn't taking his side. Going to take a look to either tell Amelia or see for yourself who to oppose politically isn't taking his side. Going because you're a brainless bit of fluff isn't taking his side.
Supporting him politically, financially or martially? That is taking his side.
The end result after the bombing is most definitely the same, yes.And I believe I've always stated that Hermione did right thing, given what she knew and what she was capable of, when bombing Malfoy Manor. But making all who attend suck ups is the cookie cutter solution since there are multiple reasons and possibilities why people could attend.
I consider the Knockturn Alley bombing not self defense but a terror attack.
And if you say legal, what laws are you using? (Because if it is Wizardling Britain the it's a case of her and Dumbledore's might forcing the government.) So there is no "Those who choose family over justice are enemies of any modern civilization since ultimately, they oppose the rule of law."
The Muggleborn are the minority and Knockturn Alley has given halfbloods, common purebloods and at least some muggleborn a reason to dislike and hate her. So her political career should have difficulties at a minimum after the first election, if there even is the possibility of any such career once the votes have been counted.
That won't take away any of the more unpleasant possibilities that magic offer and that the muggleborn do not know to competently guard against, nor does it show them all the ways that magic can be used both for and against them in dealing with a number of situations from business to travel to dating to home defense to sales to retail to child rearing.
Considering the quality of some of the teachers shown in the books, damn right you could get somebody to do the job and they would be better than Lockhart and Snape, because they couldn't be worse.
I expect halfbloods to vote for halfblood candidates for the new Wizengamot.
I expect common purebloods to vote for common pureblood candidates for the new Wizengamot.
And I expect old family purebloods to vote for old family pureblood candidates for the new Wizengamot.
So the resistance and the old family purebloods lose, having the least, if any, representatives on the new democratic Wizengamot. (Unless of course the election is rigged or one needs certain qualifications to be eligible as a candidate.)
Actually, I don't think it would work out that way. People don't always vote for people of their race and/or class- they vote for whomever they feel can represent them and their ideals. The US Congress, for example, is on average much richer than the US baseline- because middle class and wealthy people have more time, funding, and resources to pursue a career in running for office. (This is, in fact, why they get a salary for what should be a position with more than enough power and official and un-offical perks already: to allow lower and middle-lower class people even a vague chance of getting in without annihilating their own finances and futures.)
Instead of voting for people necessarily like them, people usually vote on issues and how the candidates stand for it. Being 'like them' certainly helps, of course- but there's way too many rich lawyers on both sides of the Congressional aisle for it to be a hard rule.
To whit, if a democracy was established, each category in post-Second-Blood-War racial politics will vote for the candidate that represents how they feel the nation should proceed from there. The muggleborns won't necessarily vote for a muggleborn candidate, but for whoever convinces them that they'll support equal rights laws and do away with discriminatory regulations and practices. This could be Hermione Granger, sure, but it could also be Harry Potter or Sirius Black. Similarly, the half-bloods won't vote on whether a person is halfblooded or not, but on that particular halfblood's views on the Big Issue- civil rights. Half-bloods with close muggleborn relatives will vote mostly with the muggleborns, electing Hermione and co; those that are only halfblooded because they can't prove they're pureblooded will likely select more moderate candidates (though those are hard to come by in such a divisive war), and those that are successfully passing as purebloods will vote for a conservative or law-and-order candidate like Bones.
The purebloods are an interesting case. There's three groups of them all told: blood purists and other members that supported Voldemort, equal rightists that fought him, and a bare handful of fence-sitters that stayed away from the whole shebang. Of course, in a actual democracy, their total impact is tiny even if they were united- there's simply not enough of them. Still, they've got much of the wealth and power in the last society, so they've got an out-sized impact. Expect the active equal rightists to support Hermione, the fence-sitters and uncommitted to support Sirius Black or some similar properly pureblooded but anti-Voldemort candidate (when they bother- as said, they're uncommitted- why get into politics now?), and the remains of the blood purists to support Bones and Co. (Which might not actually do Bones any favors- these were the families firmly discredited by the surrender that prefaced the war and the events during it.)
Of course, there will be varying shades of radicalism all around. Hermione isn't what Wizarding Britain would consider a 'centrist' candidate- but she isn't a hard radical either; I'm sure there will be someone farther out on that limb popping up. (...Seamus? Heck, Sirius Black may be more radical than her, which would be an interesting twist.) Similarly, there's no doubt a handful of outright blood purists out there, and they'll no doubt make Amelia Bones's life difficult if they rally to her side of the spectrum- both by driving more moderate purebloods away from her, despite her great law-and-order platform, and by pulling her own supporters off to their own radical end.
Interestingly enough, with this version of Wizarding Britain's government system, none of the halfbloods or muggleborns can really be called out for supporting the discriminatory laws unless they, as individuals, personally helped enforce them. They didn't have the franchise, which was sort of the problem to begin with. They can truthfully say 'this would never had happened if we had a democracy'; even without a democracy, they're untainted by the previous regime's problems.
Hrm. One thing that struck me as interesting- both in this story and many other 'purebloods in power' stories- is how counterproductive the Death Eater insurgency is for those families that support it. They're already in power- why do they need to fight to take it away? More likely to see Auror door-kicker secret police squads than an insurgency backed by society's wealthiest, law-making individuals. Sure, Tom Riddle's got a great reason to do so- depending on the story, he's either in it for himself and manipulating things, insane, or both. It takes a little explaining why Lucius Malfoy and his peers need to put on black cloaks and AK people, though, instead of
This story answers that (quite well, I think) with: Dumbledore. Albus managed to impose his views upon society, at least on a surface level, and succeeded so well that not only did he not realize how fragile that imposition was... the people that actually had the legislative and legal power thought so too. The elite, blood-purist purebloods ultimately controlled the Wizengamot, the police, and the ministry... and didn't quite realize it, couldn't use that power openly without getting a Deathstick to the noggin, or- even worse- everyone else stonewalling them on the merest hint of Deathstick-bearing disapproval. So, as soon as someone they think can balance Dumbledore comes along and gives them a push, they go all insurgent-shaped. Thus, we have the bizarre scenario of a society where the people in charge want to effectively overthrow themselves.
One final thought on Aurors vs. modern police officers. In industrialized countries days, the police and other law enforcement are drawn from the ranks of the middle and lower-middle classes, with a smattering of upper-middle for high-level or national positions. This is most assuredly not the case for feudal societies, where the middle class barely existed. Sure, the low-ranked leg-breakers were peasant class, but positions of responsibility- the inspectors, the palace guards, and the military officers, which is basically what Aurors are in this 'fic- were certainly not to be trusted to the rabble. Oh, of course the tip-top of the noble pile wasn't out in the streets (though you'd see them occasionally in higher leadership roles, *cough* Bones *cough*) - but the 'officer class' was filled out with lessor nobility, third sons, gentry, and other people of proper breeding but perhaps less financial status. You can't always trust peasants to oppress peasants, and especially not to actively seek out problems and oppress proactively.
Just my thoughts. A continuing great 'fic, looking forward to seeing the aftermath of Riddle's defeat and how the remaining factions deal with things!
Oh... yes. Rookwood is going to be just the kind of thing Hermione needs. The ministry will bend over to him... giving Hermione just the kind of propaganda ammunition she needs to mass mobilise people.
Amelia might not, but her "faction" might. She may be the current leader of the conservatives, but if magic britain is in any way close to real Britain the Wizengamot could just do whatever if they found a majority.Amelia might be even less willing to make a deal with an escaped criminal who has never been pardoned.
Amelia might not, but her "faction" might. She may be the current leader of the conservatives, but if magic britain is in any way close to real Britain the Wizengamot could just do whatever if they found a majority.
I don't think Bones is stupid enough to try that. She knows it's not going to work.Well done. It'll be interesting to see the political debate that will ensue, especially if Aristocratists will get to make some arguments beyond "but tradition!". I also expect some horse-trading, like the "House Granger" being offered a hereditary Wizengamot seat, as if that would placate her.
Sure, but that sort of thing is probably up to the Wizengamot.I don't think Bones is stupid enough to try that. She knows it's not going to work.
Wouldn't it be the other way around? A violent revolution would leave the Ministry in (even worse) ruins.The big question is if they can actually get the aristocracy to back down or if a revolution is necessary. Honestly a revolution might be better for Hermione, because if they back down there's a good chance they'll leave a wasteland for the first democratic government. A good way to delegitimise them.