"Riddle, now with Dumbledore and me - the only one according to the prophecy that could kill him - out of the way, takes over everything and seizes full control. That is, he takes over everything for a little while.
"By this time the muggles are fully aware of what's going on. The Battle of Hogwarts, while giving Riddle a victory, marks the death knell for magical Britain. Her Majesty, after patiently waiting for Her magical subjects to deal with the problem, has finally had enough and sends in Her forces. Magical Britain, already reeling from the war, stands no chance against her combined forces of over 320,000 military personnel and 120,000 police officers... muggle aurors. With close to half a million highly trained soldiers and law enforcement officers at Her command in the United Kingdom alone, and due to wizards and witches apparating and portkeying away from custody, Her Majesty's forces quickly develop a 'take no prisoners' response. Only the young children are exempt from that policy; pre-Hogwarts age. Magical Britain is quickly destroyed. Almost all of it occurs within the first forty -eight hours of when She orders them in. That's late May 1998.
"Of course, with the laughable Statute of Secrecy now in tatters, the same efforts soon occur right across the globe. Of the total worldwide wizarding population, by the end of the first decade after the turn of the century, less than five percent remain alive. Of those alive, with the exception of about one percent of the remainder still alive because they're better at hiding, every one of them is forced to swear an oath of fealty to the muggle rulers. Almost all of them are muggleborn.
"And pretty much the cause of all of it can be laid at the feet of one man - Albus Dumbledore - a stupid, self-aggrandising, manipulative old fool who tried to shape a prophecy spoken to him in early 1980, to how he wanted it to play out. A prophecy spoken to him by Sybill Patricia Trelawney in the Hog's Head Tavern about three months before I was born. He ran almost completely counter to how Lady Destiny and the three Fates planned and wanted it to happen. If he'd done the right thing from the get-go, none of it would have happened that way."
"Dobby," called Daphne, once she realised Harry had wound down.
"Yes, Mistress?" asked the little elf after popping in.
"Can you bring a few glasses and a bottle of Firewhiskey for the adults, and a few bottles of butterbeer for us?" "Yes, Mistress," replied Dobby before he popped away again.
A few moments later, the alcohol and glasses appeared on the coffee table between them.
Harry and the girls poured 'healthy' measures for the adults before handing each a glass. Then they each picked up a bottle of butterbeer before sitting back again.
Once most of the glasses when chugged back. The three waited for the adults to get their collective heads around what they were just told.
The first to regain her senses, Madam Bones asked, "How do you know this?"
"Because they've both lived it and we told them," said a voice all but Madam Bones recognised - Roma. Walking out of the corner of the room and up behind the couch on which the three bondmates were sitting together came Della, Roma and John. Each stood behind their 'charge'. As per usual, they were dressed in white, billowy robes. But, this time, they also wore a softly glowing golden halo each.
Looking like she was about to pass out, Madam Bones gaped at them and stuttered, "Y-you're..."
"Yes, baby; we are," replied Della.
"Do not doubt what you've just heard, Amelia Susan," said Roma. "These three lived it. Well, at least up until the 2nd of May in the year of our Lord 1998, at any rate. But, they have also spoken the truth of what would have happened after that date." "These three were backstepped, sent back in time, to the first of September last year to ensure that what you've just heard does not happen as you heard it," said John. "Through special dispensation from the Almighty, these three were sent back with a mission to set things to rights. We ask you to assist them. Please, do so."
Then the three angels quickly faded away again.
And that led to another round of measures of firewhiskey being shot back.
"Sweet Merlin!" really are angels!"
said
Sirius.
"They
"Oh, yes," said Harry. "You hadn't met them before, either. Sorry. But, we did warn you."
"Not me, you didn't!" complained Madam Bones.
"Would you have believed us if you hadn't seen them with your own eyes?" asked Daphne.
Madam Bones appeared to think about that for a few moments before she drew a deep breath. "No," she sighed. "I guess not."
"Do you now?" asked Daphne.
"Yes," the older witch said with another sigh.
"Which is probably why they put in an appearance," said Hermione. "Each time they've appeared in the past it's because they've needed to prove their existence to family. With Sirius, they didn't need to. He believed without it needing to be proven. Now, it was your turn." "Clearly we need your help to finish the first stage of the mission," said Harry. "As killing Riddle is the only part left to go of that stage, you somehow play an important role in that."
"I hope they don't think I'm the one to kill that man," she said.
"No, that's me," said Harry. "The prophecy says so."
"What was supposed to have happened, according to how everything should have played out if Dumbledore had done the right thing from the start," said Hermione. "Is: Dumbledore hears the prophecy; he... working with the Potters, Sirius and Remus... begins to train Harry from a very young age in secret; then Riddle is killed, somehow, the first time. "Eventually, Harry puts in an appearance; and he's highly trained for his eventual confrontation. Riddle gets resurrected. The two finally face in a single combat battle of good versus evil. If Harry wins it heralds the dawn of a great many years of peace and tranquillity that lasts centuries. If, however, Riddle wins, it heralds the dawn of the exact opposite. But, there was little likelihood of that.
"Because of Dumbledore not doing the right thing, steps have had to be taken to get things back on track. Part of that included our being sent back in time to the first of September, the creation of our three-way soul bond, our having the knowledge to do what we need to do, and a few other things that are not as important.
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