Book 1 - James Potter and the Hall of Elders' Crossing

“I don’t think she’s in on it like you think she is,” Ralph said, “with this whole bringing-Merlinback-from-the-dead
plot and all that. She just thinks we should be fair to everybody, Muggle and wizard
alike. She’s not trying to start a war or anything stupid. I mean, really, it doesn’t seem fair that we shouldn’t
be able to work in the Muggle world, does it? Or compete in Muggle games and sports? Just because we have
magic on our side, doesn’t make us outcasts.”
“You sound just like one of them,” James said angrily.
“Well?” Ralph said suddenly, his face going red. “I am one of them, if you haven’t noticed. And I
don’t appreciate the way you’re talking about my house. Things are a lot different now than they were when
your dad went here. If you’re so worried about truth and history, you should be all for debate on the subject.
Maybe Tabitha’s right about you.”
James sat back, his mouth dropping open.
Ralph lowered his eyes. “She wants me to be in the first school debate with Team A. I assume you
know the topic. They’re calling it ‘Re-evaluating the Assumptions of the Past: Truth or Conspiracy’?”
“And you’re going to be on the team, then? You’re going to argue that my dad and his chums made
the whole Voldemort story up just to scare people into keeping the wizarding world a secret?”
Ralph looked miserable. “Nobody believes your dad made it up, but…” He didn’t seem to know
how to finish the sentence.
“Well!” James cried, throwing up his hands. “Great argument, then! I’m speechless! Tabitha sure
has a great partner in you, hasn’t she?”
“But maybe your dad wasn’t on the right side after all!” Ralph said hotly. “Has that ever occurred to
you? I mean, sure, people got killed. It was a war. But why is it that when your side killed people, it was a
triumph of good, but when their side killed, it was an evil atrocity? The victors write the history books, you
know. Maybe the truth of the whole affair has been skewed. How would you know? You weren’t even born
yet.”
James threw his fork down onto the table. “I know my dad!” he shouted. “He didn’t kill anyone!
He was on the right side, because my dad is a good man! Voldemort was a bloodthirsty monster who just
wanted power and was willing to kill anyone who got in his way, even his friends! You might want to
remember that, since you seem to be choosing to side with people like him!”
Ralph stared at James and swallowed. James knew, in some small, distant part of his mind, that he
was overreacting. Ralph was Muggle-born: everything he knew about Voldemort and Harry Potter, he’d only
read in the last two weeks. Besides, Ralph was being fed all this by his housemates, who he was desperate to
get along with. Still, James was furious to the point of wanting to hit him, mostly because he didn’t dare hit
any of the Slytherins who were directly responsible for the malicious, self-serving lies about his dad.
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