V. What really happened in the Shrieking Shack
Although extensive Pensieved memories of Draco Malfoy, Minerva McGonagall, Severus and Hermione Snape are available and have been analysed individually, and by numerous experts many times over, their evidence remains inconclusive.
As Scorpius Malfoy-Snape wrote in My Father’s Lives and Loves: “What really happened on that fateful day must, I think, remain obscure. It was too much. In a single day the history of the whole wizarding world changed forever. In mere moments some of the brightest lights of that time were forever extinguished. Such momentous events cannot possibly be reduced to a simple explanation of ‘what really happened’.”
Of course, that has not kept survivors or descendants, neither lay-witches nor experts, from searching for just that explanation.
The interested reader should avail themselves of the opportunity to see an abridged copy of the Pensieves of Draco Malfoy, Minerva McGonagall, Severus and Hermione Snape at the Shrieking Shack museum, as well as the reading recommendations listed in the relevant section of the appended bibliography.
Within the scope of this book, a brief summary must suffice to put the narrative of the diary entries into perspective.
On 2 May 1998 Voldemort and his Death Eaters attacked Hogwarts in order to apprehend and kill Harry Potter and thus bring about the end of Sybill Trelawney’s prophecy. Among them was Draco Malfoy who had taken over Severus Snape’s task as spy for the Light after Severus Snape’s true allegiance was revealed during the battle on the Astronomy Tower on 21 June 1997.
The battle raged on for most of the day, until Harry Potter, Hermione Snape, Severus Snape, and Ronald Weasley barricaded themselves in the Shrieking Shack in order to set up a desperate back-up plan in motion that was developed by Hermione Snape.
Eventually, Voldemort, accompanied by Nagini and his most loyal Death Eaters broke through their defences and entered the Shrieking Shack. In this moment of crisis, Draco Malfoy dropped his disguise and joined the battle openly on the side of Light. This act, meant to provide the necessary moment of surprise to overpower Voldemort, backfired badly when Harry Potter leapt to the defence of his lover.
At this point Severus Snape was reduced to defending a now immobile Hermione Snape. Draco Malfoy and Ronald Weasley were forced to fight nearly the entire inner circle of Death Eaters, most notably, Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange, leaving Voldemort and Nagini to Harry Potter.
Thus, it is perhaps not surprising that not one surviving combatant saw the debilitating curse that left Harry Potter helpless on the floor, so that Voldemort could order Nagini to attack him and end his life.
What Voldemort did not anticipate was the brilliant back-up plan that Hermione Snape had devised with the help of her Muggle parents, as well as with the assistance of Severus Snape and Luna Lovegood.
The pertinent literature concerning the creation and execution of that curse fills libraries by now. In the context of the probationary diaries the briefest of explanations will, however, serve.
Unbeknownst to himself for most of his life, Harry Potter suffered from low-level lactose intolerance. Because Voldemort had used Harry Potter’s blood to regain a physical body, he shared enough of Harry Potter’s genetic make-up to be susceptible to the same condition. Since—even in his regenerated form—his main source of sustenance remained Nagini’s milk, the probability for Voldemort to develop serious physical reactions due to lactose-intolerance were significantly higher than for him to acquire a propensity for suffering a deadly anaphylactic shock from the sting of a wasp, for example. Based on the research of Lyra Lovegood—who had experimented with self-Transfiguration of molecular and sub-molecular structures before her tragic death—Hermione Snape was able to instil and intensify Harry Potter’s lactose-intolerance in every single cell of Voldemort’s new body. Once she cast the curse, Harry Potter’s death activated it. After that, Voldemort’s demise was just a question of time and diet.
During their probation, Severus and Hermione Snape naturally had to take pains—and literally did—to avoid mention of anything that would incriminate them beyond their recorded sentences as traitors and terrorists. Especially since they could not, at this point, know the events that had led to their release from prison.
Something bothered me about the two lists of names, and it took me a while to figure it out. Minerva McGonagall’s name is not on Hermione’s first list of the fallen. There are 95 names listed, but none of them is Minerva’s. With hers on the list there would have been 96.
Please forgive me. I am cursed with an analytical and technical mind. *shakes head* Not good for much else, I afraid. LOL!
Beth
Of course it’s rather sad that you have nothing at all to say besides a rather minor nitpick. However, I am naturally grateful that you pointed this tiny glitch out to me, and I’ve been happy to correct it.
I’m so sorry that I came across as such an asshat. That was never my intention. I have inhaled this story in the last couple of weeks (first on TPP and then finished on OWL today), and I left what I hope were intelligent comments for each chapter.
There were such tantilizing hints in each chapter that kept me going from one to the next, and I love trying to connect all the dots. I am an analytical person by nature and by training, and I let that side of me take over when I came here to see the lists. I had read some of the comments that other readers had made about the Editor’s Notes on OWL, and was interested in combing through the data to see if I would recognize any of the characters missing from Hermione’s first list. I felt like Hemione with her counting.
You are one of my favorite writers, and Prisoners of Azkaban is one of the most compelling and uniquely constructed stories I’ve ever read. I got carried away with my “dot connecting”, and I apologize for my comment here. I feel terrible about this and hope you will accept my apology. I am humbly sorry.
Beth
aka beffeysue
It’s okay, no worries. *hugs* In a way, I’m really thrilled you paid such close attention! I mean, in more than a year (!) of having the story posted here, you’re the first person who noticed! I just had this moment of disappointment when I thought “Wow, someone came all the way to my website for the story, wonder how they liked it” … and then it was only about the missing name. 🙁
I still have to get caught up on replying to comments on the other sites, and I have to admit it’s very difficult for me to keep all names and addies straight between FFNet, OWL, TPP, AO3, and my own site at all times. I guess for you it felt like just one of ALL the comments you left. While for me, I’m sorry to say, it just didn’t connect with all the other comments. Lately I’ve been having an awful time with keeping even the people I interact with more regularly with straight, what with most people having different names on Buzz than on LiveJournal or the archives. I hope that explains my reaction a bit.
And I’m so glad that the counting didn’t put you off. When I set out writing, I wasn’t sure if that “tick” I chose for Hermione wouldn’t drive people crazy. I have to admit, during the writing process, there were times when I felt it was driving me round the bend. (But I promise I never started counting squares.)
Thank you again for reading and noticing my mistake; if you look at the list again, you’ll find the name where it belongs!
Thank you for being understanding, and forgiving the “ticks” we analytical types are apt to have.
I read this story over at least once a year at FanFiction.net, and this time I decided to check out the CSS3 version on your site – I loved it! All the extra little details that you just don’t get over at FF really contribute so much to the story, and the amount of time and attention to detail you’ve put into this is mind-blowing. I’ve always been a big fan of your work, but this story will always be truly outstanding to me.
Wow, thank you! I’m thrilled you enjoyed the story, and it’s really the best compliment a writer can get if a reader comes back to re-read. *beams* And I’m really really happy that you’re also enjoying the web design. Hooray!