Its certainly included in the blurb about veritaserum that JKR wrote on her old website, not sure if it made it only pottermore or the subsequent site, the idea that it only makes you tell what you believe to be the truth. So clever legilimency, or some sort of memory charm, even hypnotic suggestion, might muddy the waters enough.

 

I've always found that this pretty much sums up most problems with 'rational' thinking in hp fanfiction.

 

I'd be down for a fic in which Moody decides that he didn't lose more than one pound of flesh just so that people who tried to kill him and his could wriggle free by hook and crook to waltz back into their civilian lives. Cue fic about a string of gruesome and unsolvable murders breaking the short peace after Voldemort's defeat.

 

Why's it always Moody being blood thirsty? He's said in a canon to have gone out of his way to capture, not kill, even after Aurors were given special permission to use unforgivables.

 

Because Moody was so tenacious that he has chunks missing out of him and he still keeps going. If you're going to pick a badass, you're going to pick the guy with a peg leg who makes the other side shit their pants. Plus, he was actual law enforcement.

 

I do agree he is the best candidate after perhaps Sirus. I could see Sirus doing it if it wasn't for Azkaban.
--- Post automerged ---

Oh yeah, false memories and confundus. I knew I was forgetting something last night when I wrote that.
--- Post automerged ---
If we assume a warrant to use veritaserum is anything like a muggle warrant to search a place (I know, a stretch) the warrant probably requires the questioning to follow a certain line, rather than a warrant to go digging for everything, a bit like how a warrant to search a place is for one location. It's such a gross invasion of privacy I can see pretty much everyone being on board with that concept.

 

I'm writing one where it's Hagrid who goes to town, so you can do it with anyone really.

 

Spoiler: Dresden teaches at Hogwarts, opening interview scene

"Mister Dresden?"

Harry sat up in his seat, looking around blearily.

A tall figure in green robes, with steely grey hair, and a stern expression stood at the end of his table. Her pointed hat was held between her hands, and her fingers began to knead the brim as if resisting the urge to slam it over her head and march out. She made a dismissive noise, and said, "I suppose you are here for the Defense position."

He rubbed the exhaustion from his eyes with one hand. "Something like that," he answered, and leaned back to meet her stare.

Her gaze bored down into his own, and after a beat he Saw who she was; a weary authoritarian figure with a soft spot for her own house, a softness which she had rarely demonstrated in her youth and, if the grayness surrounding the pictures and portraits on the wall was any indication, represented a regret. There were brief highlights of gold mixed in with the gray, a late husband dead for over thirty years, a late mentor and predecessor taken twenty years too soon, fallen colleagues and students alike in the brief years that followed.

When the soul gaze lifted, he knew her better than any introduction could have.

And if the way that she had abandoned her hat in favor of drawing her wand and retreating from him was any indication, she had mixed feelings about what she saw inside of him.

He almost laughed, though only because he might have cried otherwise. What did he harbor inside of his soul that sent so many running? He could guess at most and name some of it, but the simplest in the moment was that He Did Not Belong. He was, in the truest sense of the word, an Outsider. He had no place in this world.

And neither did the slippery warlock who had lead them here three days ago.

The kid hadn't known any better, at least in the beginning. Harry understood that. Who wouldn't want an escape into the books of their childhood, with so much of the world going downhill? It was a common fantasy. The problem was that Jeremy Maxwell's magic made it a reality. Without even understanding what he was doing, he started venturing into the Nevernever, and the things that lurk started to notice him too.

Less than a year on, and what had started as innocent forays turned into breaking the laws of magic.

As it turns out, if you go deep enough into the Nevernever, reality starts to get drunk.

Go deeper and the hazy memories start up, and suddenly it forgets that you don't need to break through the Outer Gates to cross Outside.

You just have to risk losing yourself in the madness to forge onward, through celestial hiccups and friction, and come out on the other side somewhere you never should have been in the first place.

Harry rubbed at his eyes again and said, "If you want to kill me, Headmistress, at least listen to what I've got to say first. There's another like me around here. Someone dangerous. He's lost himself to his own power. I tracked him as far as this village before he slipped away again, but I know he hasn't gone back home, because I set up a blockade."

So back in November I was trying to find a backdrop for my Ritual Magic submission. This is more or less what I came up with, but the whole shebang kind of petered out and went no further. To sum it up, Warlock kid accidentally figures out how to go Outside via the Potter books and eventually succumbs to that power. Dresden gives chase. They both arrive in Hogsmeade and the kid, obviously knowing this place better, slips away. Dresden can track him to roughly the Hogwarts grounds, because c'mon, who wouldn't enroll in the school if they had the power to do so? Thus Dresden applies for the yearly Defense position, because at heart he too is just an overgrown kid who can't resist the urge to learn some of this stuff for himself.

So maybe he and the Warlock cross paths. Maybe said kid is polyjuicing, so Dresden has to spend most of the year to be sure. Any number of excuses. And in the meanwhile, Professor Dresden can teach the next generation of students about magic as he learned it. /shrug.

 

Spoiler: Uncertain next-next-gen thing

"Uncle Albus!"

"My favorite sister's children!"

Gid and Fiona stopped short in the hallway. The twins, still too young to attend Hogwarts, turned mirrored doubt toward each other, and then at Al standing on the doorstep like a reluctant vampire. He glanced at his reflection in the hall mirror; not the worst comparison.

"Don't go confusing them," their mother, Lily, uttered from the kitchen. "I'm your only sister."

"That's right!" Fiona exclaimed, with all the fervor of a knee-high six year old. Gid, short for Gideon, pointed an accusing finger at him. "That's right!" he echoed his sister.

Al smiled, drawing at the lines around his mouth and the heavy bags beneath his eyes, and he winked, as if privy to something only he knew-- but that he was willing to share, if persuaded. "Maybe. Maybe not. May I come in?"

"For Merlin's sake." Lily poked her head out into the hallway and brandished a batter-smothered spoon. "Are you just going to play games, or are you going to come in and greet us like a proper member of the family, Al?"

"I'm afraid not. You see," he said, and sat down right there in the doorway, leaning half-in and half-out of the house. "I've come across a story I'd like to tell right away, and I simply cannot go another step until everyone has heard."

The light sparkling in the twin's eyes told him that he'd just won them over. "What story?" Gid asked. Fiona echoed him.

"Why, it's quite old. A story about a powerful Transfiguration master, loneliness, and the dangers of love for what has been lost."

Lily stepped out into the hall with her wand waving behind her, and the mixing bowl came dancing along at her back. "I think I know that one, Albus," she said drily. "And I don't think my children are eager to hear any more of your aesops." She rapped the spoon against the side of the bowl, catching their attention. "We're almost ready for the animation of the gingerbread men, Fiona, Gid," she said with bubbly excitement.

"Oh!"

Suitably enraptured in their mother's cooking project, the kids ran back into the kitchen, while Lily spared her brother a much sourer scowl behind them. Get in and go to the Room, she mouthed at him.

Al shrugged.

He mimed opening up a book and flipping through the pages. Outside, the setting sun faded behind dusky clouds, and a chilling wind swept up the porch, racing inside. It hardly touched his sable robes, but Lily looked as if she had just been struck.

Their father stood behind Al.

No. No, it wasn't really him. It was the shade.

"Mum?" Gid asked.

"Just a moment, sweetie."

The shade bent over and whispered in Al's ear, then stood and turned to look out over the village.

Al looked even worse than he had when he shambled up to the door minutes ago. "Sure you don't want to hear about this one, favorite sister?"

"What are you playing at, Albus-Severus?"

"Just another aesop, right?"

Okay so I have next to no recollection of what I was doing here beyond that it was supposed to be inspired by the old wizarding fairy tale prompt. But I do like the characterization. I could maybe see something developing from this?

 

...I think you got Rose Weasley and Lily Potter mixed up, mate.

Alternatively, Rose & James are married, like good o' Purebloods shouldn't be doing.

 

LOL that just shows how long ago it has been since I've read the epilogue! Fixed, thanks. And I think I was aiming for some sort of dimension hopping thing with Albus, hence his reference to her being his favorite sister -- out of an untold multitude. The thing with Harry's shade via the Resurrection Stone is lost on me at this point though.

 

Spoiler

Harry was told that he was a 'Shadow Mage'; not through any kind of blood or heir test. The goblin simply took one good look at Harry and immediately told him that.

Harry was enthusiastic. Fidgeting in his chair, he said, "What is that? Oh, I know! I'll be able to teleport through shadows! And shadows can swallow my enemies whole! Or maybe I can make shadows solid and grab people! No, it's probably-"

"You are less likely to be noticed, especially by Muggles. Nothing else," the goblin said.

Harry frowned. He said, "that's it? Oh, I know! I'll sneak up on the Death Eaters, one at a time-"

"The ability does not work on regular practitioners of Dark magic. At all," the goblin said, dashing Harry's hopes.

"Maybe sneak into Professor Dumbledore's office-"

"It also doesn't work well on those especially powerful, as well as the wary and vigilant. Enchanted eyeglasses and artificial eyes are completely immune. Creatures of great power like Phoenixes and non-true life like ghosts and portraits are also unaffected. Well-cast detection Charms will still notice you."

"Man, just what use is it, then?" Harry said, putting his hands in the air in his disappointment.

"Even though seeing wizards in anguish and disappointment is something I enjoy, your mother's reaction was far more entertaining," the goblin said, smirking like Malfoy.

"Wait, it's not even a rare ability not seen since the time of Merlin?" Harry said, then hung his head low.

"It is common enough to pop up in wizards and witches of all backgrounds, though it can still be inherited. ...Though I don't know what a 'ninja' is and why this would be useful for one."

"Huh?"

"She shouted 'I'm going to be a ninja!' and jumped around when she found out," the goblin said, still smirking smugly.

Harry covered his face with his hands. 'Is it possible for a mother to embarrass her kid post-mortem? Apparently it is...'

A small parody plot bunny that came to me years ago. I have always hated the 'Shadow Mage' and 'Sorcerer' crap, which are usually a superior form of wizard and an excuse to make Harry godlike with little effort.

 

That sounds still pretty useful to mess with Dudley and peek at girls, which I imagine is the more important for someone Harry's age.

 

Different circumstances. I'd say that this Harry was ignored and neglected only (for obvious reasons), never outright physically hit or put down verbally, so he doesn't feel the need to mess with Dudley. Edit: or, at least, not seriously mess with him. (No Harry Hunting.) As for peeping, it probably didn't occur to him immediately, but it soon would.

 

I mean, the first thing Harry does when getting his Spell Books is trying to learn how to curse Dudley.

 

Coming out of Taure's thread about magical contracts, a small plot bunny. Specifically the reminder that the Twins tried to get Ron to swear an unbreakable vow as a kid. That would, I think, be an interesting way to add a bit of depth or complexity to a side character - or even to a main character if you're having them raised in the magical world. What if they were tricked or lured into swearing an unbreakable vow as a child, and they live their life having to abide by it. It could even be a really badly worded vow that means it can be tricky to navigate. The person they gave the vow to could be anyone. An abusive or mentally ill parent. A malicious sibling. A kid who leaves nearby. All sorts of possibilities.

 

Plot Bunny: Harry's life at the Dursleys is much better, and his room under the stairs is actually pretty cool.

 

An obvious plot bunny has been plaguing me.

The idea that Voldemort just doesn't rise in fourth year, or any subsequent school years.

The idea is essentially that during the last task of the tournament Harry suffers a freak accident. Perhaps a blast ended screwt to the knee just as he comes around a corner of the maze.

Which would lead to Croutch deciding to try and kidnap Harry from the medical tent. Only to get spotted by a couple of ministry flunkies.

Insert a battle scene between Croutch, a injured Harry, Hermione, Ron and ministry flunkies.

End result being that ministry now has two azkaban escapees trying to off Harry Potter.

Fudge overreacts in a different manner. Ordering a complete investigation into "Short comings of the previous minister."

Nothing real comes from this. Sirius's name isn't cleared. No one is conveniently arrested.

But all the es Death Eaters do get hassled by Aurors. To a point where Voldemort decides to go back underground, Wormtail in tow.

Dumbledore manages to aim the Aurors in a worthwhile direction and causes significant disruption to several of Voldemort's plans, buying years of peace.

Harry for his part gets Auror body guards. Assigned to him by Fudge as a grand gesture in order to protect the boy who lived. But instead of Tonks and standard sexy hijinx he gets someone like Proudfoot, nondescript, competent and only interested in completing the job.

So Harry is rather limited in adventures for the rest of his school life and is forced to concentrate on school work, quidditch and learning whatever tricks he, and especially Hermione, is able to niggle from the Auror who is acting as his body guard.

This would be the prologue with story proper picking up after Harry's graduation of Hogwarts.

Don't really know where to take it further. Perhaps Harry joins the Orders hunt for Voldemort, while trying to become an Auror himself.

Not much of an idea, but will not leave me alone.

 

Edit : never mind. Had a lot of holes in my suggestion. Will get back to you.

Is it canon Harry, with his canon strengths and character? @KGB

I've always been partial to Harry as DADA professor, though I don't remember it being done well. It would also help make LV irate if Harry became it at 18 years old. Harry might eventually regret not joining the Order's search after he finds out that LV has been resurrected, after the point where LV actually gets a body, obviously.

Then again, a way to keep Harry as the professor past a year (getting around the Curse) might be needed. A combination of having the scar fragment and being very competent as a teacher saves him by default? Merlin knows one of the two is not enough (Quirrell, Lupin). Also a reason for Harry not having joined the search. Possibly because Molly managed to keep him from the Order, like with the twins, even as adults?

Polished it a bit.

 

A small plot bunny that I've had for a while.

Downton Abbey meets Vicar of Dibley meets Harry Potter.

This came to me ages ago, but it's struck me again in Lockdown, while walking the seven bridges walk in Studley Royal. Which Otters can tell you is a very lovely and quite wild (for a national trust site) extended park through a small artificial valley/canyon.


----
The story is a post Voldemort slice of life, where Harry decides that he neither wishes to be an auror, nor to return to Hogwarts exactly. Perhaps his death took more out of him than expected, and the urge to look for the resurrection stone gnaws on him.

He attends a small solicitor's office off Diagon Alley, a pokey office above a shop, where the ledgers are piled on the floor and the wizard's bowtie doesn't match his dress robes. There, he receives the inheritance he is long overdue from the Fleamont fortune, and this includes a very dilapidated manor house in Northumbria, or fine and noble Shropshire or wherever is green and good.

In contrast to Taure's very functional feudal manor and its colonial knights-fee chic, this place doesn't even come with a house elf. Proportionately, Harry is now land rich and cash poor.

The house has some wizardly artefact that it attaches to, perhaps a tiny henge, or a confluence or river ley or whatever suits the geography.

The house has damp, the charms have bent and mutated, and there's a half-formed wood poltergeist that keeps throwing sour apples at him. What's more, the National Trust have taken ownership of the site and although they've never figured out how to remember to go into the house and maintain it, they've certainly opened the parkland to muggles.

The house has 'sold' on long-lease a great many of the village homes in the nearby Hamlet. Still, it retains a seat on the village parish council, and they're all very keen to meet Harry, and as an eighteen year old lad, they're certain they'll set him to rights soon.

Mr. Bakewell is very much of the opinion that Harry shouldn't mind his chopping his wand-quality ash trees on Harry's estate, as they're practically neighbours, and anyway, wasn't he the one minding these trees the past twenty years? Mr. Ash is very much perplexed when Harry suggests that perhaps he ought not trample over the garden, to collect honey from the billywig hives that old Fleamont Potter once set up, his bakery depends on their near-magical sweetness, surely Mr. Potter wouldn't want to cost him his livelihood? What's more, Mrs. Lovechild seems to hold a secret very close to heart, if her dark comments about the manor's former young heir, to whom she was very dear, are to be believed.

I'd like this to be a very simple, stupid sort of story where Harry navigates village politics and a slightly pernicious manor house that is stubbornly belligerent in the face of his attempts to repair it, as Hermione, Ron and Ginny drop in from time to time, and Harry has off-screen asides to Hogwarts.

Harry would spend a lot of time exasperated, a bit of time morose, and the rest of the time walking around appreciating the beautiful countryside in all four seasons.

It'd be worth tacking on a very tiny mystery for him to do with the house. Perhaps a secret room in the style of the chamber, but with an utterly banal purpose - perhaps the secret of sleekeazy, in some Slurm style homage.