All Along the Watchtower

Additional disclaimer: Bob Dylan's song All Along The Watchtower, in fact, belongs to Bob Dylan himself.

Introduction.

This story starts from the presumption that, if a person had the inclination and the patience, they may have been able to befriend both the Gryffindor students and the Slytherins. This person would of course have to be outside of both houses, perhaps a Hufflepuff (though it is somewhat unlikely that the Slytherins, especially when in younger years, would be liable to consider this friendship); most likely, this person would have to be a Ravenclaw.

Now, how different do you think the war would have been if there were some kind of "No Man's Land" between the Gryffindors and Slytherins? Something untouchable linking them, keeping news between them as more than just gossip, and maybe (after a certain amount of time) forcing them to grudgingly accept each others presence?

So this story is exploring the relationship between houses of Hogwarts during the second rise of Voldemort, considering each character's placement in the story and how it could all have been different with just that little push.

Unfortunately, after much consideration, the reasoning is that there isn't a character already in the books quite insane enough to want to befriend individuals rather than just their own house; nobody has been rejected quite enough by their housemates to seek companionship elsewhere. The first thought would be to Luna Lovegood, who is probably the most open-minded of the students of our hero's school years. However, it is clear that she didn't befriend people from that young an age; it wasn't until later that she started to become social, and this kind of friendship would take too much time to grow.

And so the writer creates a character. A Mary-Sue surely wouldn't do the job, nor the "tortured emo"-Sue, or even our dearest Ginny-Sue; it would have to be a new character altogether. Maybe somebody with, instead of a remarkable indoctrination about the war (resulting in definite beliefs relating to the Light or Dark side), actual experience. For this, a childhood would have to be created with parents not necessarily on either side (knowingly), and instead a physical presence that cannot be ignored. Much, it could be said, like Harry Potter's scar, but instead of being a symbol of hope, a symbol of imperfection. A disability - Hogwarts, a magical school, must be able to provide for the disabled, surely? Instead of a "power"-Sue, a relatively usual (if not slightly off) young disabled student, who gets frustrated and hyperactive as the average bipolar teenager?

The character could, possibly, be from another country. Before you close the window in disgust, I am not suggesting another beautiful American transfer-student. Not at all. I am suggesting someone whose family were so disturbed by a certain factor in the character's childhood (the factor that caused this imperfection and disability) that they were raised, instead, in beautiful Botswana. Why not an African girl for once? A girl used to the Kalahari, rather than the bitter Scottish wind? And, upon re-entering England to come to Hogwarts is for the first time introduced to the history of the war. Someone with a magical background? Maybe a father from a rich, pure-blooded family that ended his life as an Auror? And a muggle mother, to even the odds?

I hereby introduce a character that I believe has the ability, inclination, patience, and most importantly idiocy to befriend Slytherins and Gryffindors alike.

I introduce Mma Valentine Baruti.