|
Reconstruction Challenge (5-2007) Update (2) | ||||
|
Category: Post-DH/AB Characters:All Genres: General Warnings: None Story is Complete Rating: PG Reviews: 3 Summary: After the final battle, all the celebrations and memorial funerals, the acting Minister of Magic makes the rebuilding of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry a top priority. But with all the spells, charms, wards, and other forms of magic put on the old castle over the ages, the reconstruction becomes very difficult. So the lead construction engineer asked Harry Potter if he would use his powerful Elder Wand to attempt to override or cancel some of the magic that was previously used on the building. Harry reluctantly agrees. Hitcount: Story Total: 4847 Disclaimer: Harry Potter Publishing Rights © J.K.R. Note the opinions in this story are my own and in no way represent the owners of this site. This story subject to copyright law under transformative use. No compensation is made for this work. |
|
|||
|
Reconstruction Challenge Update (2) It was late, past 9 PM, Tuesday, September 1st. Headmistress McGonagall just wrapped up the first Start-of-Term Feast since Hogwarts castle was rebuilt. With her last welcomes, announcements, and notices, she tells the various Prefects to take charge of their houses. As all the students start getting up and heading towards the door, she has one last thing to say. “Oh, and one other thing. Please.Watch.Where.You’re.Walking. Thank you.” Then she turned around and left. ~~~ About four months earlier ~~~ To say that the name Harry Potter carried some weight in the wizarding world at this time was an understatement. And this was one exception Harry would use it. Here he was, in some kind of run down, blacksmith sort of barn, in the middle of some obscure village in Wales, drinking Butterbeer with the three top stone wizard artists of all time still living. With them, they brought some of the finest, hardest, and blackest marble stone available from around the world. Harry already inspected them and found everything he was looking for. After sitting down and taking another drink from his bottle, the others listened as he spoke. “You all know what I want you to create and why. As part of this commission, everything about this, all your work, nothing can be said or leaked out. After the first year of school at Hogwarts is over and the students have left, then you may display copies of your work and claim yourselves as being the artists. You may also use my name as one of your clients who has commissioned you all for this special project. Do all of you understand and are okay with this?” All three gentlemen agreed. One of them raised his Butterbeer and the four clinked their bottles to toast the occasion. “Great! Now, which one of you brought the white marble?” ~~~ Back to the present ~~~ As the students walked out of the Great Hall to their four different directions, one house of students noticed something different on the floor. Near the far wall from the main doors was a black spot on the floor. It was a circle about one meter in diameter. On closer inspection, the carved, relief image could be easily seen. It was an older man with scruffy hair and an unusual eye patch over one eye. Below the circle in the same black, marble were the letters, “A M.” Down the hall, another group of students were passing a painting of a bowl of fruit. They noticed across from it by the far wall was another black circle. This image was clearly a house elf. It didn’t have lettering under it but the name, “DOBBY.” Another group further down was overheard saying, “Isn’t that Crabbe!?” The Gryffindors were walking up to the fat lady’s portrait on the seventh floor. While the Prefect was giving the password, one fifth year squealed, “Look at that!” All eyes looked at where she was pointing. Behind them, near the far wall overlooking the stairwell, on the floor, were a bunch of black circles. One was a relief carving of a young man. However, the stone had some veins of a reddish tint where the person’s hair would be. Below the circle were the letters, “F W.” The next two circles were close together. Again, the black marble seem to have an imperfection in that there were some veins of a pinkish marble in one that was obviously a woman. Below them were the letters, “R&TL.” There was a fourth one of a boy with the letters, C C.” By the next morning, numerous students were talking about which of the black carvings they found and whom they represented. There were about fifteen if one listened to all the names and descriptions given. Most of the older students already knew. The younger ones had to listen to the tales they told. Later that day after classes, several of those young students wrote letters home. Running up to the Owlery to owl home was quite a shock. Instead of black, they found a white one. Instead of a round circle, it was a large statue the size of a First Year with his arms out. Hanging above the entrance like it was flying was a very large snowy owl, its wings spread out. Below it was one word. “HEDWIG.” The headmistress knew he was there, somewhere in the room. He knew well enough that anything of news in the school was talked about over dinner or breakfast in the Great Hall. He would want to know how well his contribution was received. But she knew he didn’t want the spotlight on him again. When breakfast was over and the students started out, she calmly looked around the Great Hall. No one would ever have noticed it if one wasn’t looking for it. But she was. A side door in the back of the room opened all by it self but didn’t close immediately. Headmistress McGonagall nodded and smiled in the door’s direction. Then the door quietly closed all by itself. She was going to miss seeing Harry Potter around school. Reconstruction Challenge Update (1) It seem that every witch and wizard had heard that Harry Potter was going to be at Hogwarts that day. There was already a pretty good crowd around the front gates by the time he arrived. But what he really liked was the Aurors he recognized keeping the people back and away from the construction area. Keeping with their discussions from previous meetings with the engineers, the plan was to repair the damaged outer walls and roof first and then the insides. To see what all they were up against, they were going to start with the northeast wall. It simply fell out during the final battle and should be pretty easy to rebuild. It was also the spot the engineers first encountered problems with the fallen building material. The large stone blocks didn’t “behave” as expected. Harry and the lead engineer started by separating the blocks. The bigger ones would go in place first and work their way up to the smaller ones. But Harry encountered his first problem in trying to clear and separate the rubble. Regardless of size or where they fell from, some blocks were more resistant to magic than others. After a while of trial and error, they found what worked. He didn’t know the different forms of magic working against him, but he could feel it. Harry stood off to one side while the construction men picked which blocks of stone they needed moved. Then Harry would use the Elder Wand to levitate it out of the way down a line of preparation areas. The more difficult it was to move the blocks the shorter the distance it was moved. The easier ones were moved to the far end. After three trying hours, everybody broke for lunch. So far, over half the material was moved into four piles lined almost in a row. The Challenge story can be told in many different ways. This is just one suggestion to get your mind to start thinking of ideas. |
| Reviews 3 |
|
