During Halloween in Book 1, Harry and Ron are unaware that Hermione isn't at the feast.

Without their help the troll kills her as the teachers arrive too late. Unlike Moaning Myrtle Hermione doesn't leave a ghost around.

Now, I have questions. Not in terms of fanfiction but in terms of what is the most likely set of events within the canon world.

1. How much Ron does blame himself? How much does Harry?

2. Is Dumbledore sacked?

3. Is Quirell outed as the one behind the troll?

4. Are Voldemort's plans for the Stone a no-go because of this?

5. How strongly does Lucius Malfoy use this?


And anything else I didn't think of.

 

I think this depends on whether the reason she was in the bathroom gets announced/communicated at all. If Harry and Ron are unaware she's there, that presumably means they didn't overhear Parvati telling Lavender that Hermione was crying in the toilet - did they not overhear it because it wasn't said (because Parvati didn't know where Hermione was) or because they weren't close enough for whatever reason. If the former, if no one knew she was crying in the toilet, then there's no reasonable way for Ron's role in things to come out. If the latter, then its reasonable to think that at the very least rumours would start to circulate blaming Ron for her death.

Ron is, at heart, a pretty decent person. I think he'd take that very hard.

I don't know whether Harry would blame himself - he wasn't to blame for her being upset, so he wouldn't be on the receiving end of malicious rumours.

Twist for a fanfic - Lucius Malfoy capitalises on the rumours that Ron was responsible to bring on murder/manslaughter charges, resulting in Ron being expelled and/or carted off the Azkaban at the tender age of 11.

Myrtle died and Dippet, the Headmaster, did not have to resign, so presumably losing a student isn't a firing offence. Would he step down voluntarily however? There's definitely a reason to think he'd feel like he'd personally failed Hermione, and maybe that would push him to doubt himself? I'm not a fan of that idea personally, I don't think he's a man with enough self-doubt to walk that path, but if you wanting to take a fic in an interesting direction you could use this as an opportunity to get rid of Dumbledore.

I don't think Hermione not being around really impacts most of the rest of the plot - Harry is the one that works out who Flamel is, from the Chocolate Frog card. Yes, Hermione looked him up in a book, but the other 2 could have done that after Harry made the initial connection.

The only point where Hermione not being there becomes a problem is the obstacles in front of the Mirror, she was key to them getting through at least 2 of them.

Depends how much of a fuss is caused by the death I suppose. Are the Aurors at Hogwarts enmasse, poking their wands into everything and everyone? Or is it a cursory visit by an overworked DMLE investigator who issues the school with the magical and educational equivalent of an OSHA fine for having an unsafe educational environment, and thats the end of it? You could write it either way if you wanted to pursue it in a fic.

As mentioned above, if rumours go round that Hermione died because of Ron I could see a plot where he uses that to attack the Weasleys.

I could also see him using it to weaken Dumbledore's position. Might not be the sort of thing that gets Dumbledore removed from his post, but it could perhaps sway a few Governors against Dumbledore? If you wanted to write a fic where Dumbledore slowly gets control of the school stripped away from him, that would be a way to do it. Malfoy turns the Governors one by one against Dumbledore. j

 

Leaving Harry all alone and vulnerable, looking for a friend. And who just so happens to be willing to give Harry a second chance? Draco Malfoy.

 

You could definitely go down that route.

If you use Hermione's death to get rid of Dumbledore as well, then you have Harry losing his closest friend and his biggest background defender/supporter in one go. You're absolutely right that that leaves him vulnerable, and you can also add in that he'll be more aware of isolation and mortality than he was before due to Hermione's death - maybe not in a way that he could phrase, but someone you know, who is your age, dying will always affect you, doubly so if you're a kid, and triply so if your best friend is in prison for causing their death.

But it doesn't have to be Draco that cosies up to him. You could take the story in all sorts of directions.

A Hufflepuff friendship fic - Harry falls in with the Puffs in his year and they give him the camaraderie and support that he desperately needs.

A sports fic - The Quidditch Pitch becomes Harry's outlet and escape, the team become his friendship group.

Lone wolf, smart, powerful, and independent - Harry takes solace in the library, and works to become as powerful as he can to ensure he never again feels as weak as he does in that moment.

Buddy comedy - Harry grows closer to Seamus, Dean, and Neville after Ron leaves. You could probably manage a pretty decent pseudo-marauders fic out of that set up. If you want to make it really on the nose, have Lupin accidently infect one of them in 3rd year.

 

1. I think they'd both feel around the same amount of guilt about it - just like the rest of Gryffindor house in their year because she had no friends and they all probably made snide comments or at least laughed along. Kind of collective guilt thing. Though Harry being Harry might be a bit more upset about it. All in all, they'd get over it fairly quickly.

2. “So!” he said, “You’ve come back. The governors suspended you, but you still saw fit to return to Hogwarts.” “Well, you see, Lucius,” said Dumbledore, smiling serenely, “the other eleven governors contacted me today. It was something like being caught in a hailstorm of owls, to tell the truth. They’d heard that Arthur Weasley’s daughter had been killed and wanted me back here at once. They seemed to think I was the best man for the job after all.

I'll use this snippet from CoS as an argument for No, he wouldn't be sacked. It suggests that when things go really shitty, the board feels more comfortable with Dumbledore in charge. There is a slight possibility that they would feel differently if it were muggleborn in question, but not enough info about the board to be sure.

3. I think yes, but not immediately, since Dumbledore and Snape are already suspicious about him at this point. "Oh, and Severus, do keep an eye on Quirrell, won't you?" This line from DH, from Snape's memories, is typical Dumbledore secretive behavior but it suggests that he knew at least something, and was okay with just following him, but IMO that would stop as soon as Hermione dies, because I want to believe that Dumbledore wouldn't risk more students' lives. Unless it's Harry's life, of course.

So here the divergence happens, but I'm not sure how. The mirror and the stone are not ready by this point so the third-floor corridor is a no. What I think is most probable is that Dumbledore would watch Quirrell more closely, and it would go kinda canon until the first Quidditch match, and once Quirrell tries to jinx Harry's broom, they would confront him.

4. Voldemort is too single-focused to give up, but if given an option between the stone and killing Harry, he would try to kill Harry - It's logical to get rid of the only threat while Harry is young as he has the eternity to figure out body. And then Quidditch match. And then epic duel (or not very much so). If this confrontation is about to be public, for the whole Hogwarts to see the exchange and the spirit of Voldemort fleeing away, then this could be also a major divergence.

5. We might as well jump to the plot of OotP right here. Fudge doesn't believe in it -> Malfoy sees the opportunity and slips the diary -> Umbridge and Basilisk and shade of Voldemort and who knows what. Pretty far-stretched but I tried to think characters canon and this is what I came up with so shrugs.

I don't think canon is likely to happen as we know it!

 

I'd read a story based on this alone. Combining the various plotlines of the series into a single book/story? Yes please!

 

That'd be an insanely busy book. Probably amazing, but insanely busy.

 

Expelling Ron or throwing him in jail over a stray remark seems really grimdark, honestly. No halfway functional justice system would even press charges against an 11-year-old over something that indirect and minor, so I'd say you're basically full AU by that point.

 

Personally, I'd have Harry and Ron be too late to save Hermione, but had tried to find and rescue her.

This would lead to them feeling immensely guilty and perhaps driven to find out who let the Troll in. I'd work it similar to Forging the Sword, where Ron and Harry become closer, more determined with an us-against-the-world mentality.

 

Dumbledore might step down over his own guilt in the matter.

 

On Dumbledore I'd say instead of trying to get Dumbledore out of Hogwarts his opponents would try to limit his influence outside of the school. You see, it's the very fact that Dumbledore spends too much time playing politics in the ICW and Wizengamot that a child was killed in the school. The headmaster should have his full focus on the safety of his school.

Also Ginny might be caught early in CoS if Hermione's death resulted in some kind of policy change regarding the safety and bullying.

 

We're talking about a country where the justice system can't really be described very mature. They only do trials and evidence when it suits them. The head of the government can act as a prosecutor when he feels like it. Where a reasonably sentient magical creature is executed when someone gets hurt by it due to them not following the instructions they've just been given and ignoring the written instructions they've had access to for weeks.

They're also alright with torture being used on kids (Umbridge and her quill), so I don't see that they'd necessarily refuse to prosecute an 11 year old. And yes, it can be described as "a minor throw away remark, which only indirectly resulted in danger". It could also be described as "bullying which resulted in the death of a child".

Obviously people supporting Ron would argue the former, but you can see how Malfoy would get the latter screaming from the Daily Prophet headlines. Hell, they'd likely accuse people defending Ron of being blood purists and only defending Ron because Hermione was a muggleborn.

Is he likely to end up in jail? No. Expelled however? If there's enough public furore about what's happened, I could absolutely see that.

 

Hagrid avoided Azkaban despite raising an Acromantula at Hogwarts, despite people believing it killed a muggleborn girl in a bathroom and injured others.

I don't see Ron facing Azkaban for this.

While Lucius Malfoy may try to capitalize on it, at this point Dumbledore's influence would have been far greater with Fudge and the board of Governors. He only managed to get Dumbledore removed in chamber of Secrets after several months of searching for thr heir without success and he had to threaten the board to do is, as well over Fudge protesting.

I don't see Dumbledore stepping down because of guilt either, considering he rightly considers his presence at Hogwarts neccesarry to protect the school from Voldemort.

Overall I'd agree that the guilt Harry and Ron would feel would probably motivate them further to solve the mystery, but honestly there is not much they could do about it. Without Hermione they would be unlikely to ever reach the stone and confront Quirrell, but that may be for the better honestly since that would likely mean Dumbledore would get the chance to capture Voldemort.

 

1. Beyond a slap on the wrist, nobody really cares about doing anything about bullies. Remember, this is 1991 in Wizarding Britain. Bullying is expected, tolerated, and encouraged.
2. Hermione is a muggleborn. Her death was a tragic accident and sad, but again nobody of importance really cares.
3. Ron may or may not feel guilty. It's a toss up depending on plot.
4. Harry would probably feel a little guilty for not acting sooner but eventually get over it. He's eleven.
5. I think he'd blame Ron most of all and their friendship would either suffer or end outright. Then again, they're eleven. After a couple of weeks they'll be focused on Quidditch again.

Plot definitely can't proceed as... plotted. :/

If they make it as far as the final confrontation, Harry and Ron would have died when they drank the wrong potion in Snape's trap.
Or sooner... Harry would have fallen off his broom during Quidditch.
Or they never would have gotten into Fluffy's room to begin with, since it was locked.
etc.

They'd be forced to bring a third person in to solve their "thinking" problems, or Harry would have to actually put forth a little more effort in his studies... which I wouldn't mind so much. I don't think I could take an intelligent Ron.

 

It's also a country whose top law enforcement official had his political career hit a brick wall because he was seen as too tough on his son in a case where he was actually accused of an obvious and heinous crime, the Wizengamot overwhelmingly supported throwing the book at him, he was a legal adult who'd left school already, and he was captured alongside three unrepentant and hardened criminals. And Ron's an infinitely more sympathetic victim than Crouch Jr.

The flaws in the wizarding justice system don't all lean towards being too punitive, is all I'm saying.

 

Here's a possible set of events that happen.

Point of Divergence: Harry and Ron do not overhear that Hermione is crying in the bathroom.

Hermione dies and the teachers find her body. The news spreads and Parvati and Lavender say that Hermione was in the bathroom crying. Harry tells Ron that she was probably there because of his comments. Ron goes white as a sheet as he realizes he may be responsible for her death.

Draco Malfoy overhears Harry and Ron speaking about this. He laughs about Hermione's death saying she deserved it for being a mudblood and tells Ron that maybe Weasley's aren't that bad if they kill mudbloods. Ron immediately attacks Draco with fists. Snape intervenes and gives Ron detention. Harry notices Snape's leg is hurt. Draco writes to his father about the situation and reveals Ron's role in Hermione's death. Lucius is happy to learn he has something to use against Arthur.

Meanwhile Aurors speak with Dumbledore and learn that only someone from Hogwarts could have brought the troll inside as the school's protections would not let it enter on its own. With that in mind, Hagrid is put under suspicion due to his familiarity with magical creatures as well as his past.

Feeling sympathy for Hagrid and not believing he might be responsible the boys visit him and voice his suspicions that Snape is guilty. As in canon Hagrid accidentally reveals that Fluffy is guarding something connected to Nicolas Flamel. Ron becomes the determined one, wanting to know who is attempting to get through Fluffy and has killed Hermione.

Seeing as a student has died, Dumbledore moves the Mirror of Erised quicker and puts the Philosopher's Stone inside. Meanwhile Hagrid who is under suspicion from the Aurors decides against getting a dragon.

Harry's first Quidditch match goes uninterrupted as Voldemort does not want to draw attention to himself. Since Hermione's death Snape started to observe Quirrell more closely and Voldemort knows it. Gryffindor wins and they celebrate in the common room. Harry opens a chocolate frog and gets once again Dumbledore's card but this time notices the bit about Flamel. With that piece of information Harry does later learn that Flamel create the Philosopher's Stone.

Harry still gets the Invisibility Cloak for Christmas. He explores the castle at night but as the Mirror is long gone he only encounters Filch and later Peeves. He does overhear Snape arguing with Quirrell however and learns that from the conversation that Dumbledore suspects one of them.

Harry tells Ron all of this and they go to Professor McGonagall and tell her what they know. She summons Dumbledore as he hasn't left the school yet. Dumbledore assures Harry and Ron that he suspects who wants to steal the Stone and has already set a trap for him. He tells the boys that they shouldn't go through Fluffy and that he has everything under control.

In the room with the stone Quirrell stands like an idiot in front of the Mirror and has no idea what to do.

What's beyond is anyone's guess, but I suspect that the DADA curse eventually causes Voldemort to abandon Quirrell and left him for dead (drinking that Unicorn Blood can't be good for him).

Oh and Lucius Malfoy tells everyone he knows that Arthur Wesley's son was responsible for the death of a muggleborn.

 

This actually segues brilliantly into planting the diary on Ginny and blaming her for killing muggleborns using the Chamber and the basilisk.

 

Absolutely beautiful!

 

My understanding of that has always been that his career died not from being too harsh to his son but from losing his son to the Dark in the first place. It was 'his son was a Death Eater and he didn't even notice', not 'And he was so mean to his son too.'