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Would a year really make that much difference?

Wed, 04/21/2010 - 16:00 — parakletos

    Looking through one of the last fics in the takinginturns fest over at LJ there is one which properly fits the AU.

    So I took my starting point from the idea that Cedric didn't die in the graveyard scene in GoF. Because he backed up Harry's story about Voldemort's return, the wizarding establishment, including the Ministry of Magic, accepted the idea much more quickly than in canon, which meant that the Ministry was better prepared to deal with Voldemort and the Death Eaters...at least for a while. Dumbledore was murdered, as he was in canon, and Minerva McGonagall became headmistress at the beginning of Harry's seventh year. Meanwhile, the DA refined and developed into a strong fighting force under the leadership of Harry, Ginny and Neville. Those members who are still at school maintain close links with those who have left.

    I think I'd disagree with the premise that much would change. I think that the Ministry was so utterly corrupt that nothing much would change, my evidence for that would be the pathetic way the ministry responded even when Voldemort was fully revealed.

    So would an extra year really have made that much difference? I think not but you may disagree.

    BTW, here is the fic.

    http://community.livejournal.com/takingitinturns/33424.html

    Comments

    Wed, 04/21/2010 - 16:59 — Sovran
    Sovran's picture

    I'm with you

    If anything, I think that Cedric's survival would have delayed the Ministry's acceptance of the truth. His death added tragic impact to the whole affair, and I got the impression that Fudge had a harder time selling his denial because of that.

    Wed, 04/21/2010 - 23:21 — SiblingCreature

    I've always got the

    I've always got the impression that up until that point, Dumbledore held a certain amount of sway over Fudge... enough to keep Malfoy's influence largely in check. When Fudge rejected Dumbledore after the 'parting of the ways' he no longer had anything to balance out Malfoy's influence.

    If a second witness would have let Fudge accept the premise that Voldemort had returned then I suspect he probably would have been looking to Dumbledore for guidance over the course of that first year and I can see how that would have made a difference in the role the Ministry played in the war.

    That being said, I also suspect that Cedric being a student, his bearing witness would not have been enough to change Fudge's mind on the matter, so you are probably correct.

    - SC

    Thu, 04/22/2010 - 09:13 — NotACat
    NotACat's picture

    I'm not sure

    Cedric was very well respected and liked, as shown by how his death affected everybody. I would think that having his word to back up Harry's would make some considerable difference.

    Bear in mind that Harry had been under considerable pressure all through that year from the Daily Prophet and that his portrayal as a mad youth craving attention was the main thing that allowed Fudge to dismiss his story as mad ravings. Cedric, on the other hand, was portrayed as a hero.

    I don't recall what the "official" line was on just how Cedric died (I'm on a massive re-read but I'm only just past the QWC right now ;-) but I seem to recall they made it out to be some kind of tragic accident. I guess they managed to blame it all on Barty Crouch Junior who ever-so-conveniently got his brain scrambled.

    Certainly one thing which would change would be that the sub-plot with Cho Chang would be erased. I would like to think that Ginny might get her chance a bit earlier, but that would obviously depend upon the views of the author (how some people do hate that girl…) and how well they wanted Harry's year to go.

    I think the DA would still turn up in one guise or other. If the Ministry were to acknowledge the situation, the children would still require some extra training to protect themselves, and that particular organisation might well be the answer. It would be more official, I guess, and have more adult input, but I can still see Harry stepping up to the plate.

    I also wonder whether the Battle at the Ministry would happen. Voldemort would be no less frantic to learn the Prophecy, so I guess he would still want to lure Harry in there to fetch it out.

    It just occurred to me that with Cedric's testimony that Wormtail is alive and well, there might well be a chance that Sirius could be cleared. So using him as bait for Harry might prove more difficult…or not.

    I'll have a look at the link you supplied to see if any of my ideas crop up there. But you have raised an interesting question, which always applies in these situations, I guess: just how much change can one small alteration cause?