Challenge # 1

This challenge revolves around Aberforth, Albus, and Grindelwald. Sometime during 5th year, Harry is looking at a list of previous Dark Lords and their timeline to gain insight on Voldemorts actions and possible inspirations; when he notices there is no "Grindelwald".

He goes to Dumbledore with this information, and inquires why there is no mention of the Dark Lord, Dumbledore defeated. Dumbledore tells Harry that he shouldn't bother with these things. So, instead, he goes to Aberforth, the Hog's head bartender.

Aberforth tells him the following, that's because he wasn't a Dark Lord, merely a Dark Wizard, like a Death Eater. Then, he tells him the story of what truly happened. Aberforth, Albus, and Alphonso were triplets. They grew up together and went to Hogwarts and they all went to Slytherin, where Dumbledore's have always gone. Albus, like a true Slytherin, has always had ambitions to be Headmaster. But, they would never give that position to someone who comes from a Dark family like the Dumbledore’s.

After trying for years, he opted for just being a Transfiguration professor. Then, he hears the news. His brother has made a name for himself as a Dark wizard. He also hears, that Dippet has been planning on firing him, as parents don't want the brother of a Dark wizard teaching there children.

So, as a means to become Headmaster, and redeem the family name, Albus duels and kills his triplet Alphonso, or Grindelwald as he call's himself.

From there, Albus became famous for defying his family's dark past, Aberforth became the Hog's head bartender, and Grindelwald faded into History.

Upon hearing this, Harry realizes that he can't trust his Headmaster anymore, after all if he is willing to kill his own brother to get ahead, what will he do to Harry.

He then enlists Aberforth to help him escape, and he goes on to learn and train and try and stop Voldemort.

Requirements

• Albus is NOT just a manipulating bastard trying to use Harry as his weapon. He merely is trying to help the world with what he thinks is right. He is already Headmaster; he has no other ambition than to just want to defeat Voldemort, even if Harry is hurt.

• The trio either has to break apart. But, not because they spy, they just drift apart because Harry leaves.

• I would prefer no pairing; there is really no need. But, if there is one, Tonks or Fleur. No Hogwarts girls, that involves them leaving, Albus can then charge Harry with kidnapping to get him back.

• Some of the Order members must know. Among those choices could be Madeye, Tonks, Kingsley, and Snape.

• Part of Harry's role, is to show the people they have a different choice, other than Voldemort, and Dumbledore.

And thats it. I thought of it right now.

So, good, bad?

 

Interesting concept, i think the whole story of the triplets would need to center around Aberfoerth's childhood so we can get a better insite on the Dumbledore's as a family. Also, Aberfoerth would need some other role just to legitimize his character a bit so he's not just the storyteller but something else as well. Also, why would Harry leave Hogwarts after hearing this story? Does the history of the Dumbledore's play some other role as well?

 

It's an other way for an Independant!Harry story to start off. Instead, of the usual, letter from beyong, goblin, we have Aberforth, a person who was there, and has no reason to lie. Harry's reason to leave Hogwarts is that he is scared of what Albus might be using him for, if he was able to kill his brother so easily.

 

That sounds like a pretty interesting idea, a much better take on the manipulative Dumbledore and introducing someone to train Harry, sounds good.

Killginny009 I think from Harry's point of view, if you just learnt the man who had absolute control over his school, as nearly all the students perceive it, was willing to murder his own brother to become Headmaster, then he would have little compassion for Harry when compared to getting rid of Voldemort.

The only thing I could see that might be a problem would be how the Order would react, you can't have them play blindly loyal to Dumbledore as several prominent members are obviously not idiots, Moody, Kingsley and as loath as I am to say it Snape (he may be a insufferable git, but he's not stupid) and I don't think having the Order practically overthrowing Dumbledore would work as Dumbledore is a much better wizard than them.

I think the hardest part would be trying to the right speed of Harry's reaction, he would blindly turn against Dumbledore straight away, maybe take a couple of steps back and slowly change over a few weeks, up to two months into the school year, and then disappear on the first Hogsmead trip when he would have a reason to be out of the castle.

Still one really good idea for a new take on a couple of overused ideas.

 

Well, most of the Order has grown up knowing how great Dumbledore was, they had no reason to suspect why he was Headmaster. Also, they didn't know the Dumbledore family was previously held in a dark manner, as by then, they were established as light thanks to Albus.

The only ones who do know are Tonks, Kingsley for they are aurors and checked who he was before joining, and Snape and Madeye.

Madeye because he was with Dumbledore in that time and he is an Auror. Snape because he wanted to know who he was working for.

As for why they don't leave, well Moody, Snape, were there in Voldemorts first Rise. He was the only other alternative other than Voldemort. Kingsley and Tonks for the Second Rise, and they are also Aurors. There choices are Fudge, Voldemort, or Dumbledore. It's pretty much there only choice.

Harry can show them they have a choice.

 

Its an very interesting idea but I think it would be better if harry remained at hogwarts for the rest of the term and then disappere on his way to the Durseys. It would give him at least a few days before the Order starts looking for him.

It would also mean that Aberforth was a dark wizard and could train Harry in the dark arts

 

Its a good idea but you have to add anoter plotline to the story other than that. A beginning is good but it needs a middle and an end.

On a side note, could Aberforth have been the one to train Voldemort during his 'absent' period. Could be as a way to get back at Albus for killing his favourite brother but didn't work out as well as he planned.

 

Definitely a good idea, and I only noticed a few questions with it:

-Why does Harry turn against Dumbledore for killing a dark wizard, even if it was his own family? He trusted Sirius who turned against his own family, and didn't seem to care about Sirius' callousness about his brother's death. Why would Harry feel differently about Dumbledore, or is it only because Dumbledore murdered for his own gain and this, on top of the secrecy around the prophesy, made Harry see Dumbledore differently.

-What encourages Harry to go and visit Aberforth about the issue? Canon Harry doesn't know that it's Dumbledore's brother, only that the bartender of The Hog's Head 'looks familiar' because of his white beard and hair.


-Why does Fawkes trust Dumbledore? Even though it's not stated in canon, aren't phoenixes only supposed to stay with trustworthy and 'good' people? Why would a phoenix stay with a man who killed someone for his own gain?


That's pretty much all I can think of. But despite that it would most likely be a good read, and an interesting start to an independent Harry story.

 

Response to Khorne: Is Albus really that much better a wizard than say Snape? I mean we are always told how good he is and he's shown it a couple of times but i think he's such a great wizard because people thinks he's so great and blindly follow him. He killed his own brother, that doesn't necessarily mean he's "great" who's to say that his brother was that much better than your average DE? I've honestly always felt that half of Dumbledore's "greatness" comes from people not willing to challenge him in a duel..

 

I am not saying Albus is 'great' to the level most fan fictions go to with super!Harry, but Albus is obviously a fairly large cut above the rest to stay in power for as long as he has, he may only be on the level of skill as another wizard, but he has probably more power and a much larger repertoire of knowledge and experience that gives him the edge. Add that to the fact he has taught nearly every wizard and witch in England he would know how many of them thought and acted, giving him some insight into how they would probably act, that gives him an advantage over others and makes him better than other wizards one on one. As a group the Order might be able to take him down, but individually only Voldemort can challenge him in a duel.

I do agree that part of his 'greatness' is fro people still seeing him as a kind caring headmaster and teacher, who they feel slightly intimidated by or guilty by challenging him to a duel as they will always subconsciously view him as a kind grandfather like how he acts, but he is obviously a wizard of at least considerable power and skill on his own. Other wizards, as you said Snape, maybe a cut above the average wizard, but Albus is a cut above them, maybe not a big cut, but still above them by some amount.

 

touche, but Albus has taught a lot of wizards/witches but has been the headmaster of even more of them, but that doesn't mean he necessarily knows how powerful they are or are going to be..

 

True, but he doesn't have to know how powerful they can become, all he has to know is a general idea of their personality, if he knows someone is typically loud then he knows something is up when they are quite, and the times he talks to students in his office he can pick up on their mannerisms and learn if they do things when they are nervous, such as fiddling with their hair and twisting their arms. Knowing how people act when in certain situations means he wouldn't even need to know how powerful they were as he could use the disappointed old teacher routine and see how they react to it, if it works then he can win a battle without fighting it, and if he can keep doing that then he doesn't need to be the most powerful wizard, just the cleverest.

 

good and well thought out, but if i was harry (in this story), i wouldn't leave hogwarts because, as you said, he would no something is up. If harry were to stay put than he would be able to organize and plot, for a while, without DD knowing something is up..

 

True that's why I suggested after a couple of months, when he's had time to observe Dumbledore's actions and reactions to situations now he knows a different perspective. Harry might not even believe that idea of Dumbledore as an evil wizard to begin with, but given time and a chance to watch he could realise that. Though I do agree that it would need some time ,probably more than a few months, maybe blackmailing the Dursleys into accepting him back for Christmas, if in return he never came back to their house, then Harry can leave, or maybe on one of the Hogsmead visits get Aberforth to make him a portkey to the Hogshead, once he has left the train station and the Order think he is safely tucked away at the Dursleys he then leaves giving him several days to hide and make a new safe house.

The other major problem I see is what Kane mentioned about how Harry would know that the bartender at the hogshead was Aberforth, that would take some working out. Maybe it could be in Harry's sixth year Snape insults Sirius and Harry gets annoyed so decide to take a leave from the castle and go drink some butter beer in Hogsmead, goes to the Hogshead because it is less well known that the Three Broomsticks and he is the only person in there and gets talking to the bartender about Sirius. The talk about Sirius's dark family makes the bartender (Aberforth) start to regale his own story about his family and their evil nature, and it goes form there.

As to Kane's other point about Fawkes begin with Albus, maybe Fawkes only came to Albus after he became Headmaster, when he selfish goal was accomplished and then started to work for what he believed the good of every one, with the occasional collateral damage Fawkes came to him seeing that he was trying to do good, but was slightly, misguided. Maybe Fawkes's presence influenced Albus into mellowing out somewhat, becoming less zealous in his pursuit of the 'greater good' giving the Headmaster we see in cannon, who only lets out his other side out sometimes, when confronting Barty Crouch Jr. for example.

Following on for that maybe Harry leaving Hogwarts and distancing himself for the Order and Albus because of his dark past forces Albus to confront his own past and his actions, making him return to the type of character that Aberforth tells Harry about, the change could be gradual over the course of the school year and people say it is just the stress of confronting Death Eaters again so it gets played off as 'for the war effort' and is considered perfectly normal. Maybe form that the current generation of wizards and witches in schools, Hogwarts, Beubuxtons and Durmstrang, get the idea that brutality again Death Eaters is a good thing, so long as you can justify it, leading to a slightly dark wizarding world as a whole.

Just my couple of thoughts on the matter.

 

He feels different because Dumbledore killed just to become Headmaster. That was his brother, if he has no qualms about killing one of his brothers, a triplet, who knows what he would do to him.

Fawkes stays because, let's face it, he is just a damn bird. All he sees is a Wizard who killed a Dark Wizard, and since it's his own brother, makes it seem more noble, more light.

As for Aberforth, he took a chance. Best scenario was he was right, worst case was that some Bartender thought he was weird. Harry is not going up saying, did Dumbldedore kill Grindelwald, what happened etc. He is merely asking if the person knows anything about Grindelwald.

Another scenario could be Harry goes there to mull over the Grindelwald conspiracy, what happened? He goes there because he likes the privacy he gets, and the quiet. Aberforth could hear and take him to a back room to talk.

You guys are right, Harry should stay at Hogwarts until summer.

 

This is also a great idea, DLR...I can't wait to see someone take it up. Good stuff.