Renouncing Magic's Child

"STUPEFY!" ... rebounding into the darkness -

The Grangers were really beginning to wonder if they wanted their daughter in this world. Ministry officials had just attacked her. At fourteen, no less.

"Stop!" .... "STOP! That's my son!"

Arthur groaned. Molly was right. He never should have left them alone. A death eater had been close enough to kill them. And it was all his fault.

Harry's hair stopped blowing about ... are you all right?"

Young Harry was surprised his older self hadn't said something sarcastic.

"Out of the way, Arthur," ... Mr. Crouch's face was taut with rage.

"He doesn't really think one of them did it?" Tonks asked in disbelief.

"Which of you did it?" ... "Which of you conjured the Dark Mark?"

"He's mental," Ron muttered.

"We didn't do that!" ... "What did you want to attack us for?"

"That's Crouch for you," Sirius said bitterly.

"Do not lie, sir!" ... he looked slightly mad.

"Utterly deranged," Ron said, crossing his arms indignantly.

"You have been discovered at the scene of the crime!"

"Right," Harry actually laughed this time.

"Barty," ... "they're kids, Barty, they'd never have been able to -"

"Finally someone with sense," Amelia muttered. She couldn't help but wonder where she was. She should have been the one dealing with this. Not Crouch. She was the head of the DMLE. Really, she was getting fed up of the minister and other ministry officials side stepping her authority. She was a fair and reasonable witch, but that didn't mean she couldn't stand up for herself and her department. She would make sure the DMLE played a greater role in the organisation of the Quidditch world cup in the new timeline.

"Where did the Mark come from, you three?" ... they shouted words - an incantation -"

The Grangers smiled encouragingly at Hermione. They were furious that the Weasleys had allowed her to get into this situation but they were pleased that she was behaving sensibly and answering their questions.

"Oh, stood over there, did they?" ... Mark is summoned, missy -"

"Of course, it's an incantation," Amelia said angrily. "What else were they going to do, tell a joke? Barty does not have the authority to interrogate a witness. Where are the aurors?"

"Well," Kingsley sighed. "For one thing, the ministry had reduced our funding so there were less of us than even two years before. Then on top of that, the minister decided to give Crouch and Bagman complete control over the event. They only requested five aurors to patrol. So, most of us were either working elsewhere or on annual leave as the rest of Magical Britain was pretty quiet."

"My aurors were on annual leave?" Amelia huffed. She was going to murder Fudge.

"And where was I?" Amelia asked.

"The South of France with Susan," Kingsley said. "You - er... You argued with Fudge about it and then said if anything happened it was on his head and you wouldn't come back from holiday unless You-Know-Who returned. And he better deal with whatever happened, because it would all be his own fault."

Amelia grimaced. Yes, that sounded like something she would say in a temper. "Did Susan and I at least enjoy our holiday?"

"I believe you did, Mam," Kingsley said with a smirk. "Although, it was rudely interrupted by owls."

"Did I return early?" she questioned uncertainly. She knew she could hold a grudge but surely she wouldn't stay away when something of this magnitude had occurred.

"You did," Kingsley said. "And put up a fuss with the minister. I believe you said something along the lines of 'I told you so, you great buffoon. Now, increase my funding or I'm returning to France."

"And did I get the funding?" Amelia asked, her eyebrow raised.

"Indeed," Kingsley laughed.

"At least that's something," Amelia said. "Not that it would have been much help with all my aurors off duty."

"I believe you called them back in too," Kingsley said. "Or at least, you did for some of us."

But none of the Ministry wizards ... "They'll have Disapparated. "

"Could have asked the kids if they heard someone disapparate," Tonks muttered.

"I don't think so," ... There's a good chance we got them. . . . "

Amelia grimaced. "Were there any aurors in that clearing?"

"No. I don't think so," Amos said.

"Amos, be careful!" ... It's - but - blimey. . . "

"Who is it?" everyone cried.

"You've got someone?" ... It was Winky.

"Winky?" the kids all asked.

"But you didn't recognise the voice," young Harry said. "It couldn't have been Winky."

Harry smiled down at his younger self, nodding in agreement.

Mr. Crouch did not move ... ground at his feet.

"Well, that's embarrassing," Sirius said.

The other Ministry wizards ...  "No -"

"Discovered at the scene of the crime," Severus said, using his own words against him. He didn't for one second think Winky did it but he really didn't like Crouch and he couldn't resist a little vindictive joy.

He moved quickly around Mr. Diggory ... "There's no one else there. "

"Not visible at least," Moody muttered. His magical eye moved to Barty Crouch Junior - the lad that was supposed to be dead.

But Mr. Crouch did not seem prepared ... "you don't seriously think it was the elf?

"Why would an elf cast the dark mark?" Harry asked angrily.

"I don't know," Amos said defensively. "That's why we needed to question her."

The Dark Mark's a wizard's sign. It requires a wand. "

"Exactly," Remus said. He couldn't believe they were trying to pin this on an elf.

"Yeah," ... "Had it in her hand.

"Oh, dear," Sirius groaned. Even if she didn't cast it, she was going to be pulled up before the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures for that.

So that's clause three ... carry or use a wand. "

Hermione huffed. Wixen kind were so backwards.

"You know that law is stupid," Harry said. "What makes wixen so special that we get to decide what other magicals do? We should be working with our magical brethren, not against them. We don't get to lord over them as if we are superior. It's not right. That's going to have to change."

Amos hesitated. A part of him wanted to argue that wands would be dangerous in non-wixen magical's hands but they were also dangerous in wixen hands so that didn't seem like a reasonable argument.

"It's just prejudice," Harry continued. "Your'e all so used to thinking you're better. Better than house-elves and yet you call them family. You can't call someone family and treat them like your inferior. It doesn't work. Better than goblins and yet you let them manage your money. The wixen world would fold in a day without the goblins. Better than centaurs and merepeople so let's just steal their land and water. Better than vampires so let's make it impossible for them to feed safely. Better than werewolves so lets make wolfsbane impossible to afford. Then when they inevitably hurt someone we can blame them for it. Better than veela. Better than all of them. It makes me sick the way the wixen world treats non and part humans. It's not right and it will change."

Amos nodded his head. There was no point arguing with the prince when he clearly cared a great deal about this. "I will start a list of all the laws that will need rescinded, Prince Myrrddin," he said with a bow.

"Thank you," Harry said, taking a deep breath. "I'm not saying you all intentionally treat non-humans poorly, but the prejudice is so ingrained you don't even see it."

"You will show us," Amos said softly. "I'm not going to pretend that I like the idea of goblins with wands but if you honestly believe it is for the betterment of your people - all mother magic's people - then I will do all I can to further your goals in this area."

Harry smiled at him, surprised by Amos's willingness.

Just then there was another pop ... goggling upward at the emerald-green skull.

"A bit late," Tonks muttered.

"The Dark Mark!" ... Barry! What's going on?"

Arthur sighed. Ludo really was a bit of a liability sometimes.

Mr. Crouch had returned empty-handed... "Why weren't you at the match?

"Good question," Moody growled.

Your elf was saving you ... "What happened to her?"

Several people sighed.

"I have been busy, Ludo," ... She'd need a wand, for a start!"

"It wasn't Winky!" Hermione said angrily.

"And she had one," ... hear what she's got to say for herself. "

The aurors all sat forward.

Crouch gave no sign ... burst into terrified sobs.

"Poor Winky," young Ginny cried.

"Elf!" ... Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures!"

"She has a name you know," Hermione said. "How would you like it if I started calling you human? Human, you're not very nice. Human, did you know that you are a git? Human, next time you speak to an elf maybe you'll use their name!"

Mr and Mrs Granger didn't know what to say. They were tempted to laugh. "You probably didn't need to call him a git, dear," Mrs Granger said eventually.

"He was one when he was talking about Harry falling off his broom," Hermione bristled. "He didn't even have all the facts."

Amos couldn't argue with that. But it cost him greatly to admit it. "You are not wrong, Miss Granger. I did not show my best side to Prince Myrrddin and clearly I failed to do so again in the clearing."

Winky began to rock ... his moments of terrified disobedience.

Everyone felt pity for the elf.

"As you see, elf, ... An explanation, if you please!"

Hermione bit her tongue. She'd made her point and Mr Diggory seemed to take it surprisingly well.

"I - I - I is not doing it, sir!" ... "I is not knowing how, sir!"

"In fairness, I can't imagine myself - even in my insanity - teaching an elf that spell," Tom said. He couldn't actually believe this foolishness.

"You were found with a wand in your hand!" ... "Hey - that's mine!" he said.

"Oh, no," Sirius groaned.

Everyone in the clearing looked at him... "I dropped it!"

Amelia frowned. This was ridiculous. If they were going to talk to witnesses, it should not be happening in a clearing where anyone could hear. And, someone should have checked the wand. It might not even be the one used.

"You dropped it?" ... you conjured the Mark?"

Everyone glared at Amos. Had he really just accused Harry Potter of being a death eater? The man in question blushed deeply.

"Amos, think who you're talking to!" ... carried away. . . "

"I'll say," Amelia muttered. "For one thing you do not interrogate children without their guardians present. Prince Myrrddin, Miss Granger, if we weren't all going back in time, I'd advise you to sue the ministry for this incident. It's being very poorly handled."

"I didn't drop it there, anyway," ... got into the wood."

Harry didn't say what he now knew, that it had been taken in the top box right under the nose of the Minister for Magic.

"So," ... you'd have some fun with it, did you?"

"Casting the dark mark is hardly fun," Barty barked. He didn't like the way Diggory was talking to Winky.

"I is not doing magic with it, sir!" ... I is not knowing how!"

"Of course she didn't know how," Tom said. "She's a house elf for goodness sake. My deatheaters had to practice for weeks before they mastered that spell. It's not easy you know. It uses both light and dark magic. It's complex. Well beyond the ability of school children or an elf that doesn't even know how to use a wand."

All the deatheaters in the chamber were nodding in agreement.

"It wasn't her!" ... "It didn't sound anything like Winky, did it?"

"It wasn't her," Harry said again.

"No," ... it was a human voice," said Ron.

Ron felt a little bitter that they hadn't listened to them. They really thought that Winky had done it.

"Well, we'll soon see," .... "Prior Incantato!" roared Mr. Diggory.

Amelia rolled her eyes. Better late than never. Although the evidence wouldn't hold up in court now. Amos had held onto the wand too long without testing it. Any good lawyer would make a case for potential tampering. And they'd win.

Harry heard Hermione gasp ... I isn't knowing how!"

Several of the younger girls had tears in their eyes. Young Luna looked especially torn up. "This is just cruel."

"You've been caught red-handed, elf!" ... Where would she have learned it?"

Moody nodded. The elf was clearly not the culprit and they were wasting time.

"Perhaps Amos is suggesting," ... my servants to conjure the Dark Mark?"

Amos frowned. That hadn't been what he meant at all. Merlin, that night had been awkward.

There was a deeply unpleasant silence... "Harry Potter - and myself.

"Technically, Crouch also accused me," Harry said with a shrug. "He has a poor memory, I guess."

I suppose you are familiar ... "If you accuse my elf, you accuse me, Diggory!" shouted Mr. Crouch.

"See," Neville said, "we are bound to protect our elves. They are our family, an extension of ourselves."

"Nev, mate," Harry said softly, "while I agree with you, I'd recommend not using Crouch as an example. You'll regret it later in the book."

Neville looked perplexed but took the advice with a nod.

"Where else would ... "Where exactly did you find Harry's wand?"

Amelia shook her head. This was pointless. Whoever cast the spell was probably long gone. Nothing would be done about Winky, at least not by the ministry. Not now that Amos had offended Crouch. The law would be swept away to appease his own embarrassment. Presumably, Crouch would give her clothes though. She didn't like it but he wouldn't like being embarrassed like that.

Winky was twisting ... pick it up. "

Moody didn't believe that story for a second. He was pretty sure that if they were to go back into those trees they'd find a stunned Barty Crouch Junior under an invisibility cloak. But that was just a guess. He had no proof. Not yet anyway.

"But then, ... "I is seeing no one, sir. . . no one. . . "

Moody almost laughed. His suspicion might make people think him crazy but he would bet his remaining limbs that he was right about this one.

"Amos," ... to allow me to deal with her. "

Amelia rolled her eyes. She had seen that coming.

Mr. Diggory looked as though ... he did not dare refuse him.

"It's not that so much as I'd clearly offended him," Amos said bitterly. "I should have refused. Even if she didn't cast a spell with it, she was still breaking the law."

"But the law is..." Hermione began.

"No matter what you might think about the law in question, Miss Granger," Amelia said tersely, "the law is still the law. By all means, petition to change it but until it changes we must all abide by it."

"You may rest assured that she will be punished," Mr. Crouch added coldly.

Neville frowned. He didn't like the sound of that. The Longbottom elves were never punished. If they did something wrong they came to him and they talked it through until they found a solution. He did not punish them.

"M-m-master... This means clothes. "

Everyone stared at the book in horror. A death penalty.

"Abhorant!" Neville shouted angrily.

"No!" ... "No, master! Not clothes, not clothes!"

Everyone wore matching pitying looks but for once they were not directed at Harry.

Harry knew that the only way ... she sobbed over Mr. Crouch's feet.

All the purebloods in the chamber looked scandalised. Giving clothes was... well, it just wasn't done. Unless the elf broke their oath. But even then it would have to be a severe breach, like endangering a child of the house. What most people forgot was that an elf could demand clothes if their master broke the oath, but most elves would never do that. The cost of their lives and sanity was too great, even to get away from a bad master. That and they were often too scared; abused elves, like abused people, rarely stood up to their abusers.

"But she was frightened!" ... wanting to get out of their way!"

"Hermione," Mrs Granger said gently, "while I appreciate your concern, I don't think you should involve yourself in what seems to be a family matter."

Lucius frowned. "I actually disagree. Someone ought to call Lord Crouch out on his behaviour. It is shameful that the only one willing to do so is a fourteen year old witch."

Mr. Crouch took a step backward ... and to her master's reputation. "

"He is unworthy of Winky's oath," Lucius said seriously.

Winky was crying so hard ... if Harry could have it back, please -"

"What a mess!" Amelia grumbled. 

Mr. Diggory handed Harry his wand and Harry pocketed it.

"You need a wand holster," Moody growled.

"Come on, you three," ... "I don't know," said Mr. Weasley.

Lucius glared at Arthur. "That's a lie. You know exactly what will happen. She'll die if she doesn't find a new family. You all just stood there and did nothing as Lord Crouch as good as announced the execution of his elf."

"There was a chance she might find a new family," Arthur said with a sigh. "I didn't want to tell them that. Not right then."

"The way they were treating her!" ... it was like she wasn't even human!"

"But she's not, Hermione," Mrs Granger said softly. "While I agree they treated her awfully, she is not human. And no doubt that changes things. It shouldn't change that she be treated with respect and kindness but her needs will be different. Her diet, her lifestyle, her traditions and culture. She is not human and you do her an injustice by thinking of her as one. They see her as nothing more than an elf. But you fail to see that she is something other than human. In someways, I imagine her kind are better than humans, with strengths that we lack. But equally, her kind will have weaknesses we do not know either."

Hermione frowned. That was a reasonable argument. Had she been ignorant and bigoted too? Just in a different way?

"Well, she's not," ... It's disgusting the way -"

"He didn't say she didn't have feelings," Mr Granger said tersely. "But your mother is right. It's a complicated issue and one that quite frankly dear, I don't think you know very much about. Perhaps, you should ask some of the elves here about what it is like to be an elf. Ask them questions. Listen to their stories. Get to know them. Maybe then, you might understand them better."

"Hermione, I agree with you," ... What happened to the others?"

Mrs Weasley was struggling to keep her temper. As sad as Winky's situation was, she didn't have much room to worry about her, not when she didn't know where her other children were. Where were the twins and Ginny?

"We lost them in the dark," ...  many of them surged forward.

Kingsley did not look impressed.

"What's going on in there?" ... "Of course it's not Him," said Mr. Weasley impatiently.

Amelia groaned. That would end up in the papers. She could pretty much guarantee it.

"We don't know who it was ... though several ruined tents were still smoking.

"I don't like this," Kingsley muttered. "They shouldn't be returning to the tent."

"I'm not sure he has much choice," Amelia said. "He can't apparate all three of them. And he still needs to find the others."

Charlie's head was poking out ... but the others -"

Both Mrs Weasleys let out sighs of relief.

"I've got them here," ... which was bleeding profusely.

Young Mrs Weasley looked ready to rush over to her eldest son and check him for wounds. Although, now she thought about it, he was especially scarred. How had that happened?

Charlie had a large rip in his shirt ... unhurt, though shaken.

Mrs Weasley burst into tears.

"Did you get them, Dad?" ... "Harry's wand?" said Fred.

Kingsley tutted. Why were they wasting time? It was time to leave. They'd have to do multiple trips of side along apparition but it was doable. Percy had only just passed his test and probably shouldn't side along anyone, so he could stay back with the others while Arthur, Bill and Charlie took the first three and then came back for the others.

"Mr. Crouch's elf?" ... Regulation and Control -"

Several people glared at Percy.

"She didn't do anything ... going to run amok with a wand!" said Percy pompously, recovering himself.

Percy groaned. No matter your views on non-wixen wand use, the law was still broken.

"She didn't run amok!" ... Why's it such a big deal?"

Several people looked surprised that Ron didn't know about the Dark Mark.

"I told you, it's You-Know-Who's ... The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts. "

"Hermione, dear," Mrs Granger said, "just because you've read about something in a book, does not mean you are the most informed person in the room. Or that you are the right person to be answering the question. Ron's father is there. He is the one that should answer Ron's question."

"But -"

"No dear," Mrs Granger continued. "It is Ron's parents responsibility to inform him. Quite frankly, I find it outstanding that they don't teach you this stuff at Hogwarts but - well, either way, it's Arthur's job to answer that question."

"And it hasn't been seen for thirteen years," ... whenever they killed," said Mr. Weasley.

"Did your book tell you that, Hermione?" Mr Granger asked.

"Yes," Hermione said.

"But you didn't explain that earlier," Mr Granger said. "This is why your mother said Arthur should explain. You gave the bare minimum amount of information and expected both Ron and Harry to understand. That wasn't fair. This is why sometimes, it is better to let the adults explain, even if you think you know what you're talking about."

"Not to mention," Mrs Granger said softly, "but it's a very sensitive topic, and while I love you dearly, at fourteen, I can't imagine that you had the emotional maturity to explain it in a way that was mindful of either boy's feelings. Did you think that it might have been cast the night Harry's parents died?"

"Er... No. I didn't."

"Or that if Ron lost family in the first war that the spell was most likely used then too?" Mrs Granger added.

"Er..." Hermione sighed.

"The terror it inspired...

"That's something you certainly wouldn't have been able to comprehend from a book," Mrs Granger said.

Hermione nodded thoughtfully. No. She hadn't understood that at fourteen. It wasn't until the war that she had any idea what it really meant. And even then, she'd not witnessed it herself - not the Dark Mark at least.

you have no idea ... the very worst. . . "

Those that had experienced it themselves looked close to tears.

"I found it over my brothers' house," Molly said tearfully. "I couldn't even go inside. I... I never went back. I couldn't."

Amelia nodded. "It was me that found my brother and his wife... I still dream about it."

There was silence for a moment... They're having their memories modified right now. "

The Grangers looked torn. On one side, it was probably better not to remember that trauma but it still... It was an assault on their person all the same. And they really couldn't condone that. They chose not to comment however, feeling that they'd already made their point earlier in the day.

"Death Eaters?" said Harry. "What are Death Eaters?"

Most of the chamber looked at Harry in surprise. They knew he'd been kept in the dark but surely... How could he not know about death eaters? Surely, Albus would have explained that much at least. Not being aware of that was a major security risk for Harry. Kingsley in particular looked murderous.

"It's what You-Know-Who's ... "Though it probably was," he added hopelessly.

"Who else would it be?" young Ron asked.

"Copy cats," Amelia said. "We've seen plenty of them over the years."

"How did you know they weren't death eaters?" Harry asked.

"Little things," Amelia explained. "The wrong target. The outfit was similar but not quite right. It's in the small details but a good auror will spot them."

"Yeah, I bet it was!" ... right in with You-Know-Who!"

Harry sighed. He was strangely torn about that encounter in the woods. It had definitely seemed like a warning.

"But what were ... levitating Muggles? I mean, what was the point?"

"Good point," Lucius grumbled. "Some of them - Nott, MacNair, - see it as sport."

"The point?" ... A nice little reunion for them," he finished disgustedly.

Lucius nodded. That was exactly what it was.

"But if they were the Death Eaters ... wouldn't they?"

Lucius laughed at that. No. Most of the death eaters would not be delighted at the idea of the Dark Lord returning.

"Use your brains, Ron,"... over-pleased with them, do you?"

The death eaters in the chamber all nodded their agreement and even Tom Riddle seemed to agree.

"So... whoever conjured the Dark Mark ... or to scare them away?"

"Good question," Moody said. "Either way, only the death eaters knew how to cast the mark."

"Your guess is as good ... get an early Portkey out of here. "

Kingsley complained at that. "You can't possibly think it is safe to stay?"

"I doubted that they'd come back," Arthur said.

"Never presume," Moody growled.

Harry got back into his bunk ... What did these things mean?

"Nothing good," Sirius said, "that's for sure."

He thought of the letter ... Harry finally dozed off.

"I don't imagine any of you got much sleep that night," Tonks said with a grimace.

"One more chapter," Minerva said, "then it's time for lessons."