Disclaimer:
Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
I own nothing but the original characters I make.
"Dialogue"
'Thoughts'
-Author notes-
Chapter 22: The Fall of the Old Order
The first weekend at Hogwarts arrived with heavy morning rain that seeped through the windows of the castle.
Harry woke early, before the other boys, and lay in his four-poster bed listening to the soft sounds of the castle waking around him.
The diary was carefully tucked under his mattress. The ancient book A Treatise on Magical Cores was well hidden at the bottom of his trunk, wrapped inside a spare robe.
Today, he had a plan.
After breakfast, while Draco and Pansy debated the merits of different broomstick handles and Crabbe debated whether to have a second helping of eggs, Harry excused himself.
"I need to go to the library," he told them. "I have to find some sources for the Transfiguration essay."
Draco raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were done with that yesterday."
"No, I still have a few more details to complete. I have the feeling that Professor McGonagall is the type who can tell when you've rushed your homework. I want to do it properly."
Draco shrugged. "Suit yourself. We'll be in the common room."
Harry nodded and slipped away. He felt a bit bad for lying to them, but if they knew what he was planning to research, they would likely try to stop him.
The Hogwarts library was located on the first floor, just off the main entrance hall. It was a vast, cavernous room, its ceiling tall enough to become lost in shadows, and its walls lined with shelves that stretched from floor to ceiling.
There were thousands of books here...millions, perhaps, waiting in the dim light, their spines gleaming with gold and silver lettering.
Harry pushed open the heavy oak door and stepped inside.
The librarian, Madam Pince, was a thin, bird-like woman with sharp features and darker eyes. She stood behind a high desk, stamping returns with precise movements.
When she saw Harry, her eyes narrowed.
"No food," she said. "No drink. No loud noises. No magic. No speaking above a whisper. No running. No-"
"I understand, Madam," Harry said quickly.
She studied him for a moment longer, then nodded curtly and returned to her stamping.
Harry sighed and got to work.
The library was quieter than anywhere else in the castle. The only sounds were the rustle of pages, the soft scuff of shoes on stone, and the occasional noise of a student complaining about homework. Harry passed rows of shelves labelled: Transfiguration, Charms, Defence, Potions, all the subjects he was studying.
But today, he was not looking for textbooks.
He turned a corner and found himself in a section he had almost missed. The shelves here were older, the books dustier, and the lighting was much dimmer. A sign hung from the end of one shelf, its letters faded: History of Magic - Supplemental Materials.
This is it, Harry thought. It has to be here.
He scanned the spines. A History of Hogwarts by Bathilda Bagshot. Great Wizards of the Twentieth Century. The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts.
He pulled out Great Wizards of the Twentieth Century and flipped through it. The pages were clean, the text crisp. But when he reached the section covering the 1970s and early 1980s, he found nothing. The pages jumped from 1969 to 1982, with only a single line in between:
"For records pertaining to the years 1970–1981, please consult Ministry-approved archival documents. Access restricted to Level Seven personnel and above."
Harry frowned and put the book back before taking another one.
The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts was even worse. It had large sections that had been cut out, leaving jagged edges where pages had been torn.
It was evident that someone had been trying to remove part of history, or at least, make it harder to learn about it.
Draco and Pansy only knew a few of the broad strokes of what their parents had told them, but only the adults who lived through it could know the full story.
But Harry was not willing to give up so easily. He spent the next hour searching through the shelves, pulling book after book.
Each one told the same story: a gap, torn pages, or a polite note directing readers to Ministry archives he would never be allowed to access.
Disappointment settled in his chest.
But then… he saw something on the floor.
A book had been shoved beneath the lowest shelf, as if someone had tried to hide it in a hurry. Only the edge of its spine was visible, wedged between the floor and the wooden shelf. Harry knelt, his knees creaking on the cold stone, and pulled it out.
The book was older than any of the others he had seen in the library, and it was in very bad shape. It was covered in dust, and its leather binding was filled with cracks and cuts. This poor book had probably been stashed beneath the shelf for many years.
However, the cover was still readable, stamped with worn gold letters that read: The Fall of the Old Order: A Chronicle of the Years 1970–1981 in Magical Britain.
Harry's heart skipped a beat. He quickly glanced around to make sure no one was watching.
He opened the book carefully. The pages felt brittle beneath his fingers.
The first thing he noticed was the missing pages. Someone had torn out several sections in the first half, leaving ragged stubs behind. But enough remained… so he had hope to find something interesting.
Harry examined his surroundings and found a quiet corner to read, hidden between two tall shelves.
"The death of Minister for Magic, Harold Minchum, in the spring of 1971, marked the beginning of a new era – one that no one could have predicted."
"Minchum, who had served for nearly a decade, was found dead in his office at the Ministry of Magic. Official reports claimed he died of a heart attack. Unofficial sources, however, spoke of a curse – a powerful, ancient curse that left no trace."
"In the chaos that followed, the Wizengamot turned to the one wizard they believed could restore order: Albus Dumbledore. Already Chief Warlock, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, and Headmaster of Hogwarts, Dumbledore was seen as a unifying figure, a hero who had defeated the Dark Lord Grindelwald in 1945. The Wizengamot granted him emergency powers. It was meant to be temporary."
"Dumbledore never relinquished control."
Harry's hands trembled. So that's how it happened, he thought. He kept reading.
"By 1973, Dumbledore had consolidated power. He appointed loyal followers to key Ministry positions. The Wizengamot became a rubber stamp. Dissent was met with accusations of Dark sympathy. And those who resisted… disappeared."
"It was in this climate that a resistance movement emerged. Its leader was a charismatic wizard named Tom Riddle, a half-blood who had risen through the ranks of the Ministry before becoming disillusioned with Dumbledore's regime."
"Riddle was soon labelled as a traitor and a criminal by the Ministry. Later on, he would only be known as the Dark Lord, and any records of his actual name would be scraped from most books. But not this one."
"Riddle's followers were a mix of disaffected pure-bloods, outraged half-bloods, and Muggle-borns who had suffered under Dumbledore's new order. They called themselves the Knights of Walpurgis, and they waged a guerrilla war against the Ministry."
Harry paused. 'So Tom Riddle is still known as the Dark Lord here,' he thought. 'But he appears to be just someone who rebelled against an unjust system, instead of a monster.'
He could not help but wonder what kind of person he truly was.
Harry looked back at the book and turned the page.
"The war escalated throughout the late 1970s. Attacks on both sides became more frequent and more brutal. Dumbledore's forces...led by his most loyal followers, including the Weasley and Longbottom families, employed tactics that many considered disgraceful."
"Muggle-born prisoners were sent to 're-education camps', prisons, or simply executed. Suspected sympathisers were given 'credit points'. A system that left them one mistake away from losing their wands and their freedom."
"On the other side, Riddle's Knights targeted Ministry strongholds and Dumbledore's supporters. They claimed to fight for equality, for the right of Muggle-borns to keep their families, and for an end to the tyranny. But they were not without their own cruelties. War, as always, corrupts people."
"The turning point came in 1981."
Harry's breath caught. 'That was the year I was born. The year my parents died…'
He continued reading, but he noticed that the writing on this last part of the book was different, as if it were done by someone else.
"In the autumn of 1981, Dumbledore confronted Tom Riddle in a duel. The location and circumstances remain unclear. Eyewitness accounts vary wildly, but the outcome was not. Riddle was defeated. He disappeared, presumed dead, though his body was never recovered."
"His followers scattered. Some were captured and executed. Others, like Lord Goyle, were killed in the final battles. The Goyle family estate was seized, and most of its members were imprisoned or worse. Only a handful of the youngest were spared."
"The war ended. Albus Dumbledore declared victory and restored order to the nation."
Harry's mind raced. 'The Goyles… so that's why I never saw him'. Crabbe and Goyle were supposed to be inseparable, but when he arrived at Hogwarts, he found it strange that only Crabbe was present. Now he knew why.
He read the next passage, and his blood ran cold.
"Among Dumbledore's most celebrated warriors was James Potter, a young wizard from an old family. Potter joined the fight early and distinguished himself through his ruthlessness. While others hesitated, Potter acted. His efficiency in eliminating Riddle's followers earned him the nickname 'the Grim Reaper.' His kill count, a term military leaders rarely used openly, was reportedly the highest of any wizard on Dumbledore's side."
"Potter was particularly known for his cruelty towards Muggle-born prisoners. He advocated for harsher treatment, longer sentences, and more extensive re-education. He personally oversaw the capture and interrogation of several high-ranking Knights, including the wife of Lord Parkinson."
"For his service, Potter was awarded the Order of Merlin, First Class, posthumously, since he died in the final weeks of the war. Official accounts claim he was killed by the Dark Lord himself, in a desperate last stand. Unofficial accounts suggest otherwise. Some say he was killed by his own side – a friendly fire incident. Others claim he was assassinated by Riddle's followers in retaliation for his atrocities."
"His wife, Lily Potter (née Evans), a Muggle-born who had been 'elevated' through her marriage, also died in the war. Her role remains unclear. Some sources suggest she was a spy. Others suggest she was a prisoner in her own home. The Ministry has never released her files."
Harry closed the book.
His hands were shaking.
'The Grim Reaper,' he thought with disgust. He had had a bad feeling about this since the first time he saw how people reacted to hearing his father's name and how they called him a 'war hero'.
But if this book was true… he was no hero at all. He was nothing more than a butcher who had killed countless people while serving a tyrant.
He thought of the photograph in his vault – the one depicting James and Lily laughing, happy, in love.
Was it all a lie?
And about his mother… what was she? A spy? A prisoner? Or something worse than his father?
At this point, he thought it was better if he never found out. It was clear that his aunt Petunia did not like talking about her sister, Lily, and now it made more sense as to why.
He sat in the corner, the book clutched to his chest, for a long time.
When he finally composed himself, he turned to the back of the book. The last remaining pages listed the fates of the major families involved in the war.
"Goyle: Lord Goyle executed for war crimes. Estate seized. Surviving family members stripped of titles and wealth."
"Parkinson: Lord Cyrus Parkinson sentenced to life in Azkaban for treason. His wife, Lady Parkinson, died during interrogation. Their children were stripped of inheritance. Son, Alistair Parkinson, and newborn daughter, Pansy Parkinson, may be permitted to attend Hogwarts under the supervision of the Ministry of Magic."
Harry's stomach turned. Pansy's father was in Azkaban for life, and her mother had died during interrogation. He did not miss the fact that, according to the book, it had been his father who had captured Lady Parkinson...and likely killed her.
He tried to push that disturbing thought out of his mind.
"Greengrass: Lord Greengrass sentenced to life in Azkaban for neutrality, the charge was 'aiding the enemy by failing to aid the Ministry.' Family assets seized. Only a small house and a shop in Knockturn Alley remain. The Greengrass daughters, Daphne and Astoria, were permitted to attend Hogwarts under close supervision."
"Longbottom: House Longbottom, loyal to the Ministry of Magic throughout. Rewarded with significant assets seized from convicted families. Lord Longbottom currently serves as Senior Undersecretary to the Minister."
"Weasley: House Weasley, loyal to the Ministry of Magic throughout. Lord Arthur Weasley was appointed Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. Family elevated to the highest circles of power."
Just as he reached the last page, Harry noticed something written at the bottom.
"The preceding chapters were written by Fleamont Potter, Head of the House of Potter, between the years 1975 and 1980. He completed the manuscript up to the events of early 1980. He died on July 31, 1980, the day his grandson, Harry Potter, was born."
"The final chapter was added after his death by an unknown hand. This book was never published. This is the only copy in existence. If you are reading this, guard it well. The truth is more dangerous than any spell."
Harry stared at the words.
"Fleamont Potter." That was his grandfather. The same Fleamont who had bonded with the grimoire, who had died on the day Harry was born.
His grandfather had written most of this book. He had tried to record the truth for posterity...and someone had finished it after he died. Someone who had hidden it beneath a shelf in the library, hoping that one day, someone would find it.
'Who finished the book?' Harry wondered. 'Who hid it?'
Was it a coincidence that it was he who found it, or had someone purposely left it here for him?
He had no answers. Only more questions.
Harry closed the book and hid it back under the shelf, exactly where he had found it.
Then he walked to the library door, past Madam Pince's sharp eyes, and out into the corridor.
He needed to get some air after that. But mostly… he needed to be alone.
A.N: - Remember to comment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.
You can support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters. You can also find character images to view for free in Collections/Harry Potter: Mirror Images
-.com/Kriogenix
For donations and commissions, go to .com/kriogenix