I've realized that I have not seen the Dark Force Defense League in fanfiction as of yet. I'm kind of curious about it, as it seems to be an elite organization, comprised of duelists of Harry's calibre and skill in the Defense Against the Dark Arts.

The primary observation is that, in canon, Lockhart was an Honorary Member, suggesting that it wasn't as powerful an organization as it would seem. On the other hand, it would suggest that the league is secretive, limiting outsiders such as Lockhart to a minimal role.

Has anyone come across any fics incorporating the Dark Force Defense League?

 

None that I know of too, but I get the feeling the DFDL is just some bullcrap Lockhart made up, much like the "Peskipiksi Pesternomi" spell and such.

 

It seems like the Dark Force Defense League does exist outside of Lockhart's imaginings. Apparently in Ch31 of The Goblet of Fire an anonymous DFDL member is quoted in a Daily Prophet Article.
http://www.hp-lexicon.org/about/books/gf/rg-gf31.html

That is the sole reference (exc. Lockhart) I've turned up via google. It's inconclusive enough that you can argue it either way.

Yak.

 

His honorary membership sounds like something he says whenever he's introduced for the first time. No one has called him on it, and I feel that it would be on his biographies.

I like to think that Lockhart used the league to track down the people that he Obliviated, and to steal the credit, though that leaves the question of how he got the credentials to join in the first place.

Just speculating. I think it was something JKR didn't explain, or else she intentionally placed its existence in doubt by introducing the league through Lockhart.

 

I read a story where Lockhart was just acting like a fool, being the public figure of the DFDL to draw attention away from the other members by claiming their deeds.
Just forgot it's name. :-/

 

Remember Andro that Lockhart did save a small village from werewolves if I remember correctly from CoS. That might have been the thing that really got him his taste for fame, and also his honourary membership.

 

Actually, he didn't. He merely stole the credit by wiping the memories of the person who saved the village.

It is inconceivable that he can save a village from werewolves when he can't even handle a bunch of Cornish pixies.

 

There was one fic I remember that included this.

The basic premise of the plot was that in 7th year, Dumbledore showed a Gryffindor!Harry an alternate timeline - one where Harry was a Slytherin. He then offers Harry the chance to change time and live out that life as a Slytherin - not possessing the memories of his old timeline though - time is effectively re-rewitten with no one knowing anything different. All that happens is that the sorting hat chooses differently and time plays out differently.

Harry decides to take Dumbledore up on his offer, as though the Slytherin version of himself is less popular and less Gryffindor-like, he is also more powerful and Harry needs to be more powerful to tackle Voldemort.

After seventh year, Slytherin!Harry becomes a member of the Dark Force Defence League. The story was abandoned on the chapter of Harry's first mission.

I forget the name of the story, but the last chapter I believe was called "Train Wreck" or something to that effect.

 

The Brave New World
Author: bellerophon30
Fiction Rated: T
Drama/Humor
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2697521/1/
A sixth and seventh year story, totally AU. Harry decides that his life expectancy will be greatly enhanced if leaves Dumbledore and Voldemort behind. Destination: The US.

Harry joins the Dark Force Defense League in this story. It's a long story and was recently completed.

 

I knew I had seen it somewhere, but you beat my too it. This is a very long story, and it goes WAY into detail about the AU in America.

I liked it and followed it for a while, but I just stopped reading about halfway through.

 

I remember reading that story a while ago, but gave it up at some point. The whole trans-atlantic supertrunk put me off. The idea of moving to America was pulled off somewhat decently, but it just dragged on.

About the original topic: The fact the Lockhart was a member makes me think that it wasn't actually focused on defense, and was more a group of celebrities famous for dueling/fighting dark arts.

 

I don't think we are thinking broadly enough. Most are thinking Lockhart is a member because of his "exploits" battling the dark. However, maybe he is a member of the Dark Force Defense League because of his ability with the Memory charm. The DFDL seems to be (IMO) a secret society like the Freemasons are too us, it would make sense that a secret magical society may need some wizards talented with the memory charm. Of course, this is assuming that being able to use the memory charm is difficult to use for the average wizard.

 

The quality of the DFDL, as an organization, can't be judged on the basis that Lockhart is a member because...

A: He's only an honorary member.
B: He may have been lying when he said he was a member anyway. We only have his word to go on and we all know what the word of a proven liar is worth. Shit, considering all his books are packed with lies, he's surpassed liar and entered fraud, con artist and hoax territory... We're talking Fiji Mermaid and Piltdown Man here.

An actual member probably shook his hand at a society function and made an offhand bullshit comment about making him an honorary member and now he goes around claiming it's official.

In More Equal Than You Know it is mentioned that Lockhart is a member and that his books and activities are a front for what he really does, which is travel around the world covering shit up for the organization. He also mentions (paraphrased here) that it would be a shitty job if he weren't knee-deep in pussy because of the books.

So, in there, he's still a jerk and a womanizer and the books are still fake; not because he's incompetent but because he's a 'secret agent.'

 

Its included in Obsidian Warlock's More Equal Than You Know[ /i]

 

I'm having my Tom Riddle in To Define Treachery winning a place in the League. Then, he is confronted by the leader, and blows his identity. The problem is reaching that part in the story.

A person can do a lot with it. The League could have branches that specialize in different fields of magic, ie the creation and enhancement of spells... or at least it could be an interesting subplot.

 

Just had a thought on this, maybe the Dark Force Defense League is the international CIA of the wizarding world as a whole. The league would have its field agents, researchers, spies, obliviators(Lockhart), stationed all around the world etc. Maybe the League does know that Lockhart is a fake, but when they saw his ability at using the Memory charm they decided to make him a member.