A Short Biography of Hercules Greengrass: Part II, The Time of Illusions
The Biographical Dictionary of Wizarding Britain, Thirty Seventh Edition, 2058
Few wizards entered political life with seemingly more cards to play then Hercules Greengrass when he succeded his father in the Wizengamot (a formality) and at the Hogwarts Board of Governor (far less so). A celebrated war hero, the son of a powerfull figure whose power bloc he inherited and who died a martyr death, the husban of a similarly popular and politically astute witch who was all to willing to assist him he also benefited from a favourable political environment for the Sphinxes.
Following the end of the war wide swathes of Wizarding Britain recognised that their world had changed because of the war, and that it had done so in a manner that could not be reversed without great tragedies. In such an atmosphere the traditionalists appeared foolish and rather disconnected with the new state of the Wizarding World, all the more so after the majority of them had spend the last decade camped in a neutrality widely considered morally unnaceptable. The Purism to which most of them held to various degree was beginning to be seen for the repugnant belief it was, especially by veterans of the conflict who had often fought side by side with muggleborns and other magical beings, as well as against extremist purists. Two events, more then any others, showed the decline of traditionalism and the growing isolation of its supporters at this juncture of the history of Wizarding Britain. The first was the election to the Wizengamot that followed the death of Torquil Travers, the politician having succombed to injuries sustained during the attack on the ministry two years before. Traditions and norms at the time dictated that it was his only son, none other then Sullivan Travers. Alarmed by the suspicions of Grindelwaldite sympathies often attached to the intelectual many quickly rose to declare his candidacy unnaceptable. Had the traditionalists taken them seriously a compromise might have been reached and another figure sympathetic to their beliefs might have been elected but, convinced that they wouldn't dare, they proceeded to push Travers' candidacy. Once called, however, the bluf revealed itself to not be a bluf and, in what must have seemed like a final triumph over his school days rival, Hercules succeeded in getting Astoria elected to the seat.
The second is know today as the Affair of the Two Weddings: anxious to see their old allies the Rosiers be fully re-integrated by Wizarding Britain's high society the Blacks aranged the wedding of Cygnus Black and Druella Rosier, in the hope of forcing many to attend and therefore implicitely ratify that reintegration. Had nothing else interfered the gamble might have paid off but it was also during this period that was announced the engagement of Cedrella Black and Septimus Weasley, both war heroes in their own right, leading to the former being blasted from the Black familly three. The two weddings and what they seemingly indicated (that in the Black's eyes being suspected of Grindelwaldism was forgivable while reformist beliefs were not) enraged many. Druella and Cygnus' wedding was sparsely attended while Cedrella and Septimus' had a truly formidable list of guests. Partly in retaliation the Wizengamot voted the Law of Pensions, under this seemingly innocuous name the bill insituted a special tax to fund pensions for the widows, widowers and orphans of war deads that the wealthiest familly of Wizarding Britain had to pay, unless a sufficient number of their members had participated to the war efforts, in practice exempting powerfull families of moderate and reformist leanings.
At first glance the outlook for reformists was far brighter, and in several respects it truly was. Unlike the traditionalists they left the war standing tall, the glory of victory shining around them. They could also take comfort in the fact that most of Wizarding Britain did indeed embrace the idea of a more modern society, and wished for further changes to ensure that it came about. Unfortunately for them, many of these same wizards and witches also yearned for many quiet years, changes yes but gradual changes, or at least too gradual for the tastes of many phoenixes and sphinxes. As a result their wartime growth came to a halt, and was even reversed to some small degrees. In 1948, in spite of his enormous popularity, Spencer-Moon found his hope for re-election dashed and the Sphinx Willemina Tuft elected in his stead. In the days following the election Porpentina Scamander reportedly resumed the situation rather well with an allusion to a bout of muggle poetry: ''The center is in fact doing rather well!''
While his youth prevented him from occupying a key post inside the ministry Hercules' influence was nonetheless not to be underestimated. The heirs to the Slughorn and Crouch fortunes and influence were both minors in 1948, the previous generation having perished in the attack at the ministry. Bartolomeow Crouch Sr. himself would turn 17 a year latter but, first best friend and then boyfriend of Hercules' younger sister Calliope, he had come to regard him as an older brother, as somebody to look up to. Among the great famillies of the Sphinxes Hercules and Astoria stood alone, the popularity of Hercules' other younger sibling, Ulysses, as a quidditch star only making the Greengrass star shine even brighter. While there is no doubt that Sullivan Travers greatly exagerated when he attributed Hercules' willingness to let his courtesy title disapear because of social changes because ''a wizard won't care whether he is named lord or not when he is king in fact!'' there is no doubt that he and Astoria were surrounded by marks of respect usually reserved to the Blacks and that Foxridges was quickly eclipsing Grimmaud Place during this period.
For traditionalists making their way to the manor in the Pennines the experience often proved to be disconcerting. While much of what they expected to see from magical aristocrats could quickly be found several touches to the scenes they witnessed tended to show that the Greengrasses were flounting the old norms more and more openly. Yes, portraits of Slytherin and artifacts in silver and emeralds could still be seen honoring the ties between the House of Greengrass and Salazar's house but they now had to rival similar mementos of Hercules' Carrick ancestry and of Gryffindor while both were clearly eclipsed by the azure blue, the Opales and the Bronze that could be seen. Yes, the Greengrasses' old house elf Chryseus was still there, faithfully serving the familly, but having accompagnied his master to Europe and met American House Elves there he had expressed the desire to do so as a paid employee. Hercules had assented. Yes, magnificent receptions were still held at Foxridges, during which the hosts were always impecably dressed and old names well represented. Far from the old wizarding robes favoured by traditionalists, however, the Greengrasses instead elected to go for the new fashion, inspired by the capes worn by the fighters of the Global Wizarding War, who had themselves been inspired by the atire prized by the muggle upper class. Moreover, alongside the old names one could often find muggleborns which the couple had known had school and/or during the war and, during the wanning moments of those parties, Hercules could often be found smoking a cigarete, a bad habit he had acquired during his time on the continent and whom traditionalists frequently denounced as a muggle habit.
Hercules greatest sin in the eyes of most traditionalists of the time resided elsewhere however, as he cheerfully took advantage of Aneas Greengrass' growing role as an intermediary between the two governments to break the taboo usually surrounding squib relatives of old famillies. Soon the two brothers found themselves exchanging a correspondence that was by no means purely professional and rumours of discrete but frequent mutual visits began to make the rounds. At the end it proved to matter little, however, as such actions were only taken with the assurance of impunity. When, during a reception at Grimaud Place, an inebriated Orion Black confronted him Hercules looked at the Black like, in the words of some witnesses, he was ''an utterly inferior life form'' and with a cold voice asked him what he planned to do about it. Suddenly sobered Orion Black beated an hasty retreat.
In latter years Hercules would describe the period as the happiest of his life, altough he would add a ''by no little means because of my illusions''. The power of the Sphinxes seemed absolute, the Greengrasses well on their way to become the paramount familly of Wizarding Britain and his familly life destined for quiet happiness. To Niké Greengrass succeeded Perseus in 1949 as well as the twins Hector and Andromache in 1953. As Foxridge resonated with the laughter and games of his new familly, often accompagnied by the children of his McLaghen cousins, while both Calliope and Ulysses seemed to have found their path in life and, to his best knowledge at the time, the only member of his extended familly espousing extremist beliefs was dead, the sky must have seemed rather cloudless. In 1958 England won the Quidditch World Cup, with Ulysses Greengrass named player of the tournament. The magnificent feast that followed at Foxridge, attended by personalities of all opinions and blood statuses and often coined the Party of Century, has taken a special place in the history books: the last night of the period of peace, prosperity and of Sphinx domination who had followed the downfall of Grindelwald and the beginning of the slide downward, toward the horrors of the First Wizarding War.
Behind the scenes, and unknown to most, tensions had already began to rise years before that and the base of the Sphinxes' strenght were far weaker then most realised. As the Global Wizarding War receeded further and further in memories the desire of many for quietness above all things began to diminish and many began to demand larger and faster changes to Wizarding Britain's society, scandalising traditionalists who had already began to grow increasingly angry and fearfull after the changes that had already come. Many become increasingly radical and violent in their rethoric during those years, as the Dragons began to loose supporters to the Basilisks and Tome Riddle found his message warmly welcomed in more and more corners.
At the end, however, it was a policy whom latter events would prove tragically right that would began the decline in power of the Sphinxes and of the Greengrass family. Having faced many Dementors having rallied Grindelwald and seen first hand at Ostrevenburg what they were capable of both Hercules and Astoria had come to the conclusion that they needed to be remove from Azkaban and, in 1958, they changed that the moment had come. In that regard they gravely misjudged the mood of the public, however, as the idea soon met with firm, widespread and visceral resistance from all corners of Wizarding Britain, ensured that the projected change would not come to pass. Worse, while the attempted reform was being rejected Headmaster Dippet first faced the health problems that would, at last, end his academic career. As a result the ministry was approached and asked to confirm Dumbledore as his eventual successor, an eventuality the Greengrasses strongly opposed due to their conflict with the legendary professor and, as they could not muster a good reason to oppose the nomination of such an evidently qualified candidate their attempts not only failed but backfired. Seemingly triumphant only a few months ago the Sphinxes were already severely weakened and divided when the popular Wilhemina Tuft suddenly died from an alergic reaction. Her popularity was enough to ensure that her son and fellow Sphinx, Ignatius, would succeed her but the later's heratic behaviour as minister ensured that he would quickly be deposed. As 1962 and a new election for the post of Minister of Magic was around the corner Hercules announced his candidacy, more by duty then by ambition for few gave the Sphinxes any chance to prevail.
As the campaign got underway the liberator of the magical communities of the Balkans was firmly in third place behind Abraxas Malfoy, candidate of the traditionalists, and Norbert ''Nobby'' Leach, a war hero of even greater renown then Hercules as well as the candidate of the reformists and, a fact of no small political importance, a man seeking to be the first muggleborn to occupy the post. As Leach was considered by most to be the clear frontrunner most of his advisor were seeing Malfoy as the main threat, the only wizard who could truly prevent Leach from making history. The Sphinxes and their supporters were generally seen as not worth much worry, due to their current state of weakness. Only one witch among their ranks disagree: Eleanor Colville. The famous potion mistress had served as a prefect alongside Greengrass' side during the first opening of the Chamber of Secrets and had therefore witnessed first hand his political acumen and his ability to gain the respect, and even affection, of wizards and witches of background vastly different from his. Her voice was drowned by others, however.
At first the campaign followed its expected course: Leach in front, Malfoy second and Greengrass in third. Soon, however, events began to take an unexpected course: the fall from grace of the Sphinxes had removed the curtain that had hidden the worrisome developments of the 50s to most of Wizarding Britain, most particularly the growing extremism of many Purists and, helped by the evident hatred Malfoy and Leach had for each other for both political and personal reasons, they not only came to the light of day during the campaign but ratched up. Malfoy's supporters began to attack Leach's, or wizards and witches they took as such. As they defended themselves brawls began to erupt in all corners of Wizarding Britain. Suddenly, the Sphinxes began to appear like a safe heaven, the only way to put pandora back in her box, and Hercules' campaign rose from the dead. Worried by his rise in popularity, Malfoy tasked Sullivan Travers with writing a series of article attacking Hercules' candidacy. The manouver backfired in spectacular fashion, both because of Travers' inhability to appear likeable to most of Wizarding Britain and because Greengrass countattacked with a series of speeces bringing back to the table the attitude of many traditionalists during the war and their willingness to associate with those strongly suspected of Grindelwaldites sympathies as well as calling on all veterans and their familly to fight Malfoy's campaign. Soon the traditionalist bid for the Ministry layed in shamble, Hercules had climbed to the second place and had a powerfull wind blowing in his sail. An attempt by the Leach campaign to describe him as incapable to understand the challenges of the common wizard due to his origin did not yield better result, as it reminded to the public the sympathy they had felt for him after the tragic death of his father. Moreover, Astoria's role as his premier campaign surrogate and her own relatively humble origins did much to blunt whatever strenght the attack might have.
The last weeks of the campaign were have gone down to history as the Dance of Raven, for both the two main candidates as well as their main advisors had been Ravenclaw students, Colville's prescient advise having lead Nobby Leach to trust her above all others regarding such matters. All over Britain wizards and witches who had been housemates of Hercules spoke publicly and positively of his leadership, in a manoeuver calculated to hinder Leach's campaigns as much as possible emphasis was put on the protection he worked to provide to muggleborn Ravenclaws, his anger toward those who had rejoiced at the opening of the Chamber of Secrets and the compassion he had shown toward poorer housemates. Again and again the message of the Greengrass campaign resonated all over the country. ''Vote for Hercules Greengrass, a wizard who cares about both justice and the wizarding ways! Vote for Hercules Greengrass, both the wearer of a reassuring surname and a wizard of the people!'' While the political duel between the two wizards grew heated they both did what they could to restrain those in their campaigns who wanted to depict their opponent as simply another aristocratic brat seeking to avoid seeing his privilegied position challenged and as a grown man willing to risk plunging the country into civil war to avenge the frustration of his youth, respectively. Nonetheless, such accusations were indeed uttered and contributed to the achromonious atmosphere of the last days of the campaign.
To this day historians continue to debate whether the Greengrass campaign was growing until the very last moment of the campaign, and Leach's was only saved by the sound of the bell, or whether its momentum had already stop. What cannot be denied, however, is that Leach prevailed at the conclusion of an unexpectedly close race. The consequences of Leach's victory did wait long to make themselves felt. Refusing to serve under a muggleborn Purist either resigned in mass from the ministry or sabotaged its work as much as they could, while often openly inciting the wider Wizarding society to disobedience. Bloody incidents began to rise in number as purist extremists multiplied attacks against those they deemed unworthy of magic. Under Hercules' influence the moderates, for their part, continued to oppose Leach when they disagreed with his policies but did so by usual means. No appeal to disobedience was uttered, no statement according to which Leach was not legitimate because of his blood status came to be, no resignations were made and no sabotage was commited. Why Hercules Greengrass proved far less scating against the actions of the Purists toward Leach in public then testimonies of the time stated he was in private also remain a subject of debate. Charitable interpretations states that he mainly feared to make an already situation even worse while more critical ones prefer to believe that he was instead still hoping to rally some traditionalists to a future bid for the ministry and others believe that both preocupations might have played their part. Be that as it may, events would soon see him change his tune soon enough.
In 1968, taken by a sudden illness, Nobby Leach resigned as Minister for Magic. A few days latter he was already on his deathbead and Hercules was summoned to the Leach residence before it was too late. There the former leader of the Boggarts bidded him to come to his bedside and announced that he had been poisoned and, rightfully as latter events would show, that the same wizards and witches who were responsible for his death would try to take power by violence. With a feeble voice he implored Hercules to fight them, like they had fought together against Grindelwald, and defeat them. Hercules swore. As a former Minister for Magic Leach's funerals gathered much of the political class. Several eminent wizards and witches were selected to pronounce his eulogy, Hercules Greengrass was one of them. When he stepped onto the platform he probably still intended to read the rather tame speech he had in his pocket but something stopped him: in the back rows he noticed several well know purists laughing, evidently drunk, and mocking the disease. Several of those presents who had been at Hogwarts with him noted that, upon seeing them, Greengrass had the same expression of raw, cold anger then he had upon hearing some mocking those who had been petrified. Slowly pulling the speech from his pocket het setted on fire and proceeded to attack all those who had refused to accept Leach as minister despite him having gotten the job legally, once more linking their attitude with the one they had shown during the war, and, in a transparent allusion, stating that ''only morally bankrupt witches or wizards would go to such extremity to rid themselves of a political rival!'' before endorsing Eugenia Jenkins, equalitarian minded candidate, as the next Minister for Magic. After a moment of silence moderates and reformists present got up and applauded as one, essentially ensuring Jenkins' victory.
By all accounts the first months of her time in office were a time of sweeping changes, as reform after reform were ennacted. The lack of violent incident or other form of extra legal resistance, caused by the greater coordination of those willing to engage in such acts as they were now firmly under Riddle's control, created a sense of false calm in Wizarding Britain. The Squib Rights Marches shatered that illusion; describing their inception, goals, course and results would be beyond our purpose. For us it is sufficient to say that the Pureblood Riots who were launched against the marches proved to be the first instance of large scale, sustained violence in Wizarding Britain since 150 years. At a gathering of many leading figures of the ministry Hercules shocked most of those in attendance by calmly asking to put at the head of the Auror Office and requesting the authorisation to break the riots by all means necessary. Following the gasps who immediately ensued he explained that, regardless of one's oppinion on the Squib Rights Marches (1), the Pureblood Riots could simply not be tolerated as doing so would be seen by those participating as a sign of grave weakness by the Ministry. Drawing comparaison with the rise of Grindelwald in Germany and Scandinavia he stated that anything but a firm response against such large scale violence would only embolden the perpetrators, leading to something far more terrible. While he certainly made an impression Hercules nonetheless failed to convince. Minister Jenkins navigated the crisis ably, ensuring that the riots would come to an end with limited violence on all sides. A few months latter a series of brutal attacks on muggles marked the beginning of the First British Wizarding War.
Before we go further we must take a moment to discuss the younger generation of Greengrasses. With the beginning of the war and as they have either reached majority or are approaching it they would soon play a role in the course of events as their own witches and wizards, rather that simply as their parents' sons and daughters. Born in 1946 Niké was, litterally and figuratively, the child of the victory of 1945. Dotted upon by both of her parents she was the spitting image of her grandmother Arbela but instead took after her aunt Calliope in personality. A mischievous, altough kind hearted, as well as slightly hyperactive child she often find herself at the middle or dangerous and/or destructive games played both at home and at Hogwarts. Quite willing to defy the rule she often find herself at the head of impromptu expedition to the hills surrounding the Pennines and to other sections of the castle ground after curview. Shorted into Slytherin she found herself fighting a valiant, tough unsuccessfull in hindsight, fight against the growing power of Purism and extremism in her house. While she often did so by non-violent means testimonies from her housemates tend to indicate that she definitely did not deem herself above using her evident talent for martial magic. In the process she acquired a fearsome reputation that ensured none would dare speak ill of her parents in her presence. Upon graduating from Hogwarts she showed a proclivity for partying, spending much of the next two years doing so, leading some to write her off as a lightweight. As it happen they were wrong, however, for on one morning she appeared in the auror office to postulate for a job. To the surprise of her instructors, specifically selected to avoid any apperance of favouritism, she passed the rigorous tests to be admitted to the corps with gusto. Upon taking her post she was immediately affected to case involving Purist extremist, ensuring that many would desire her death.
Born in 1949 Perseus Greengrass was, by contrast, very much his father's son. Born with the Greengrass looks, naturally serious and a magical historian by temperament he and Hercules soon found themselves creating a bond which many noted was strickingly similar to the ties that had once united Hercules with his father, especially since Perseus also showed a remarkable political acumen. Shorted into Ravenclaw he quickly found himself the unnoficial leader of his housemates and gained the Head Boy's badge who had escaped Hercules. While he could present some Ravenclaws to approve of the Dark Rising to come he did manage to isolate them inside their own house, like his father had done with the Grindelwaldites. In that endavour he was opposed by the brothers Foroquil and Calvandus Travers, ensuring that the familly rivalry would pass to the next generation.
While the two eldest children of the familly had, by all accounts, excellent relationships with their parents their younger twin siblings, born in 1953, were not so lucky. Devoid of the strong personality, intelectual drive and magical talents of her older sibling Andromache often struggled to convey to her parents that she had no ambitions other then a quiet life, as the idea was utterly alien to them. Shorted into Huffelpuff, something that did not help as even after two centuries a part of any Greengrass' mind still tought of it as the house of Loxias, she obtained respectable, if not remarkable grades, before going back to Foxridge. In spite of having had several boyfriends throughout the years she only married rather late in life, to a wizard almost a decade her junior: Marius MacMillan. By all accounts a capable young wizard he was embraced by Hercules as more or less the perfect son in law until he was slaughtered, alongside most of his remaining familly since the hatred of the Death Eaters for the MacMillans was second only to the one they had for the Bones. As a result Hercules found himself acting as a father figure of a short for their only child, Ernest.
By contrast with his twin sister Hector Greengrass had much of his parents' intelligence, drive and magical talent, tough falling somewhat short of both of them in each of those respect. As a result the tensions that would mark his interactions with the rest of his familly in later year were absent during his childhood, as his parent looked fondly upon him and the positive reports they received from his tutors. In this context his shorting in Slytherin was seen as nothing then the happy continuation of a proud Greengrass tradition. This state of affairs quickly began to change, however, as either influenced by his housemates or simply now willing to say what he always believed Hector not only embraced a strong traditionalism but also a virrulent purism, tough he stopped short of supporting Riddle and his hilk. Often at loggerheard with the rest of his familly he took the habit of accusing them, not so subtly, of being blood traitors. In spite of all of this, however, mother and son managed to maintain a loving bond, as the name of Hector's youngest daughter testify. Unfortunately, it was not so as far as Hercules and Hector were concerned, in no small part because of the latter's close friendship with Lucius Malfoy, whose father Hercules despised as the assassin of his old brother in arm, Nobby Leach. The conflict between father and son would loom large over the childhoods of Hector's own daughters, Daphné and Astoria the Younger.
(1) Hercules was actually pretty sympathetic to the goals of the Marches, mainly because of his ties with Aeneas, but political concerns lead him to keep his true feelings to himself on the matter.
