[Episode 122374] [Episode 122374]The Ministry of Magic called in.
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Moments later, deep within the Ministry of Magic, a magical alarm goes off. In this progressive day and age, some kind (malevolent) soul hooked up a loud speaker to it so that everyone would hear it going off.
So it was shocking to say the least when Harry Potter's alarm went off that early morning. Aurors and Unspeakables grabbed their wands and charged over there. It would have taken an incredible amount of power to overcome the wards at Potter's home.
Fully thirty adult wizards arrived almost instantly. Any neighbours soon found their memories modified and the shattered windows were put back together in a jiffy.
Cornelius Fudge looked over the house distastefully. "Did you find the culprit, Westlow?"
A rose bush suddenly disgorged a rather rumpled looking Albus Dumbledore. His robes were covered in scratches along with his exposed skin. His beard was terribly tangled. "That would have been myself, I'm afraid. I had never expected such a reaction from removing that spell. Hmm, hmmm." He started to lose himself in thought.
"What exactly happened? Dumbledore?" the Minister of Magic asked loudly.
"An impossibility, of course. Considering it was magic, only slightly unexpected. Where did that power come from? It may very well be permanent." Albus waved his wand and levitated the door back onto the house and back together. With a bit of care, he knocked again.
"Specifics, Albus. What specifically happened here?"
"Ah! I informed you that I had taken precautions to hide Harry Potter. One of the precautions has taken a bit of life on its own. I'm not able to remove this spell which is very unneeded at this point.
The door flew open suddenly! "What did you do, you crackpot!" Petunia shouted at Albus. Her hair was in disarray and her house looked like a tornado had touched down in it. "Who is this... man, and why should I even let you in my house to hurt my family?" She was downright screechy at this point.
"Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic." Cornelius turned to all of the wizards that had shown up. "I've got this under control. Spread out and make sure that no one witnessed this." He shook Petunia's hand deliberately, calming her already.
"I had no idea that there was a Magical Ministry. Please, come in."
From the kitchen came the sound of two children crying. Petunia went to them immediately. Cornelius and Albus followed immediately. What were shown there was not two boys, but a boy and a girl.
Very carefully, Cornelius checked both of their foreheads. "Albus? You didn't, did you?"
"Indeed I did. If anyone had come looking here for Harry Potter, they would have only found Harriet Dursley. A harmless spell that would have only granted months of disguise to the young lad. For some reason it has become stronger than any warding I've ever laid my eyes on. And that takes some doing, as I have to maintain the wards of Hogwarts." Albus was tapping his chin thoughtfully.
"We can not have the Boy Who Lived stuck as a girl, Dumbledore!"
Petunia hugged her children closely. If only Vernon would wake up, he could solve this problem.
"Unfortunately, the only way to weaken the spell is to remove the child from this household. That would negate all of the work and wards we put up here." Dumbledore sighed.
"Well, you will just have to figure it out. I expect the problem to be resolved before he attends Hogwarts." Cornelius jammed his bowler onto his head.
"And if it is not so easily fixed? What if, indeed almost factually at this point, it is permanent?" the aged wizard countered. "With the enemies that the Potters have, this is the perfect disguise."
Suddenly, the object of their discussion piped up. "You want to turn me into a boy?" Harriet screeched.
Dumbledore and Fudge shared a quick look of consternation. The minister spoke up, "Actually, we wish to return you to your natural form, that of a boy. A boy that will grow up to be a fine wizard, I'm sure."
"I don't wanna be a boy! I like being a girl! Auntie loves me just the way I am!" she howled back, tears in her eyes.
"There, there. Auntie will..." a quick glance from Petunia to the comatose Vernon, "always love you."
Dumbledore was struck silly by the sudden realization of the real situation. He had known that Petunia hated the Wizarding World with all her heart. She would at best tolerate young Harry. But somehow Harriet had broken that hatred down and earned Petunia's unconditional love. "There is nothing that can be done. Love... can not be broken. The love of a parent and child is an incredible thing. I daresay that even removing Harriet from here would not remove that spell now."
"We can not have Harry Potter become Harriet Potter!" Fudge yelled loudly.
"Very well. I suppose you will have to be the one to order their deaths." Albus nodded thoughtfully. "I would gainsay that the probability of that breaking the ward is only about ten percent though."
"Mommy! Don't you hurt Mommy!" Harriet and Dudley shouted, clinging to Petunia tightly. Petunia just paled even as she rocked her children.
"I can not order that, Dumbledore! You know that!"
"Then there is nothing to be done. We shall have to concoct a story that Harry Potter was sent away for special training, and not to Hogwarts as planned." The old wizard stood up. With a tap of his wand he awoke Vernon. "I do apologize for the mess. Magic can do that, unfortunately. Let me put everything in order, and then we will be off." With a few deft waves of his wand, all of the mess was restored to pristine shape.
"Mr. Durkly, right? Well, I would suggest that you adopt young Harriet soon. Harriet Potter would raise too many questions. No one will have a problem with an unknown girl." Fudge was very upset and obviously wanted to leave.
"It is Dursley! I want nothing to do with you or your kind! I should just take that girl to the orphanage and be done with her!" Vernon was out of sorts, but knew it had to be that girl's fault!
"Only if you want to divorce me the day after that!" Petunia said quietly.
"Petunia? You can't be... It is just Harriet!"
"I mean it! Every word! Harriet is family, Vernon. We'll adopt her as soon as possible."
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(Posted Fri, 22 Oct 2004 08:41)
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