What a fabulous, fabulous story! I have to admit it was a little hard for me to follow, because I've tried mightily to forget that DH ever happened, but I think this fic has prompted me to remember the key plot points.
First off, I love the fact that this fic is deeply political, not just in the sense that contains politics in the meetings between August and Rufus, but in its frank acknowledgment of power held by various parties and in its depiction of the ways in which characters view and manipulate various kinds of power. Canon tends to be very black-and-white in its views of both might and right, but this fic shows a universe in which it's not at all clear how or why Voldemort could be defeated, or what tactics are acceptable along the way. Making Rufus a Hufflepuff and Augusta a Slytherin was one way of showing how their world views might differ from the Gryffindor story we've all read, but so too are the comments about Stan Shunpike and about Harry and Ron and Herminone's progress, which fold so well into the main plotline. And it was masterful to bring Neville, a representative of the Gryffindor perspective, back in the final scene to show that even the end of conflict hasn't reconciled the differences among these characters, although Neville's able to set aside dislike for the man in light of his grandmother's feelings. There's more than one truth in this universe, and seeing Neville recognize that gives me that sense of growth that I didn't get strongly enough from DH. (Sorry, don't mean to knock DH here--especially since I think I recognize you, Oh Mystery Author, and I have a lot of respect for your more sympathetic reading of the book.)
On a more writerly level, you manage to bring in so much backstory here without ever letting it overwhelm the main narrative. I'm not quite sure how you did it, but I'm impressed, and I'll be back to reread more carefully and learn something from this fic.
In a word, brava! A marvelous story, one that made me think about the world differently and one that colored my own ideas about these characters in the future. Thank you for that. Maggie