A Tale of Rivals
A/N: So this is my first attempt at this. To avoid any confusion, I am trying to stick as close to canon as possible, incorporating details from the books, as well as Pottermore and the HP Lexicon. The character is of my own creation, but his family name is listed among the Sacred 28 on Pottermore. Well here goes nothing. I hope you enjoy it!
October 31st, 1980
The wind bit harshly in the darkness, and the ordinary passerby would not have seen a hooded man appear on riverbank. He looked around quickly before heading towards the large manor that stood near the river. He pulled out a wand from his cloak as he approached the tall gate that blocked further approach, yet instead of stopping, he was able to walk through, as if the gates were nothing more than smoke. The walk to the manor was flat and grassy, and the man wasted in swinging open the front door.
A house elf was waiting for him. Paying the elf no mind, the man shed his black cloak, revealing a dark yellow tunic. "Tea, Worrow," he muttered as he threw his cloak to the coat rack and walked into the parlor. "I'll be in the parlor."
The two occupants of the parlor looked up in surprise as the man entered the room. An older man in a beige robe was reading near the fireplace, and a younger woman sat cradling a baby in her arms. The newcomer walked to the woman and kissed her without preamble before hugging the older man. The Dark Lord has fallen," he exclaimed triumphantly. "It is over."
The woman cried tears of joy as she pulled the baby closer and went to stand by her husband. The older man put down his book, a bright smile adorning a face that had become unfamiliar with such happiness. "What happened, Ned?" he asked the man.
"Amelia, told me at the Ministry only half an hour ago," Ned picked up his sleeping son, freeing his wife's hands. "The Dark Lord has been defeated when his own spell rebounded upon him. The war has ended, father."
The woman looked up sharply. "And what of Lily?"
It was easy for the woman and her father in law to see the tension reappear on Ned Fawley's face. "They're dead," he shook his head sadly. "They were betrayed. The Dark Lord found their house in Godric's Hollow." Madam Fawley and Ned's father shook their heads sadly at the news. The Potters had been remarkable assets in the fight against Voldemort.
"The boy?" Madam Fawley asked quietly.
"That's what is truly bewildering," Ned said. "He's alive. The Dark Lord tried to kill him and for some reason, the spell backfired and the boy was spared. Rumor has it Dumbledore took the child in his custody."
Madam Fawley looked at the sleeping bundle in her arms. "He's Eddie's age," she whispered. "They'll be school mates... to go through that…"
Ned's father would have none of the trepidation and sorrow so soon after victory. "Enough of that, Elodie," he addressed the woman he had welcomed into his home as a daughter. Pouring three glasses of firewhiskey, he gave one to the two adults. "Tonight, we celebrate. There will be time enough tomorrow to mourn our fallen."
The older man walked to the window that looked towards the mountains. The sky was becoming riddled with shooting stars as news traveled of the defeat of the Dark Lord. Raising his glass, he toasted the fortune of the wizarding world and their savior. "Here's to you, Master Potter," he said quietly. "Here's to you."
July 1991
"Young Masters Fawley!" exclaimed the old House Elf as she ran onto the field behind Promenade-On-Finn. "Young Masters!" she called again in a panic, trying to make herself heard to the two laughing boys on broomsticks as they played a game of Quidditch.
The two boys spared the elf a discreet glance as they zoomed around each other. "Think we should put her out of her panic and let her know we can hear?" the older boy asked the younger one idly.
"Probably," the younger boy said a bit dejectedly. I want to be there when my Hogwarts letter comes and Worrow won't tell me if I'm up here."
The two boys angled their brooms towards the house elf, preparing to make their descent. Edmund Fawley, youngest of the Fawley sons was waiting for his Hogwarts letter with anticipation. His sister and brother were both enrolled in Hogwarts, Sullivan a fourth year and Merry a seventh year, as well as Head Girl, an accomplishment Madam Fawley could not stop talking about when her book club stopped by the manor.
Year after year watching his two older siblings go to Hogwarts and be sorted into the noble House of Hufflepuff had finally paid off. This year, he would finally go to Hogwarts and join the House that every single member of his family had been in since the founding of the school. He had no worries about not being accepted by his housemates. After all, he was a Fawley. His thick brown hair may have been combed over instead of the long and wavy look his brother sought, but it had always been easy to tell that they were brothers.
As the two descended and hopped off their brooms in front of Worrow, the elf gave them a quick glare. "Young Masters, Madam Fawley requested your presence for breakfast an hour ago," she scolded as she shooed them into the house.
"Relax, Worrow," Sullivan called cheerfully as he headed inside. Mum and Dad know I need to train for the upcoming season. Professor Sprout wants the cup in her office this year."
Edmund followed his brother into the house. While their physical resemblance was evident, the similarities ended there. Sullivan was loud and boisterous, whereas he tended to be much quieter and calm. His mother often said that Sullivan had been so loud as a baby that when she gave birth to Edmund, her body had spurted out the exact opposite for the sake of her own sanity.
Rushing into the kitchen, the boys were just in time to see a large Barn Owl barrel through the open window and drop three letters onto the table where the Fawley family ate their morning and noonday meals. The emerald ink bearing his name lit up Edmund's face. "My Hogwarts letter!" he exclaimed.
September 1, 1991
The morning of September first may have been calm and orderly as mandated by their father, but that did not quench the brimming excitement that the family had that signaled the start of term. Edmund sat in the hall with his trunk and owl cage. His mother had taken him to Diagon Alley on his birthday, and allowed him his choice of owl as a present before they went to get the rest of his school supplies. He had named him Ptolemy, unashamedly after his first wizard card he had ever received.
After several moments, Sullivan and Merry walked in with their own trunks and owls. Meredith Fawley had always been the subject of attention at school for her stunning looks, and her status as a prefect since her fifth year had made her the family darling. Even so, she never lorded herself over her youngest brother, for which Edmund was grateful. "Ready, Edmund?" she asked idly as she grabbed some floo powder next to the fireplace. "Said goodbye to mum?"
"Of course, Edmund responded a bit queasily at the site of the floo powder in his sister's hand. He hated the stuff. Much preferring when his father side-along apparated with him.
"Good," Merry said shortly, ready to be on her way. Remember, we are flooing to the Bones House in London, and going to Kings Cross from there. Get in," she beckoned towards the hearth of green flame. "You're going first."
With a deep breath and a firm grip on his belongings, Edmund stepped into the flames.
Platform 9 ¾ was crowded as ever. Edmund was walking with Susan Bones, who would also be starting Hogwarts that year. The Fawleys had known the Bones family for several years and he and Susan had been friends since childhood. Up ahead Merry had already boarded the train, and Sullivan was talking to Cedric Diggory and his father. While Susan said goodbye to her aunt, Edmund allowed Madam Bones to give him a warm hug before they boarded the train. Amelia Bones may have been a hard woman by reputation, but as a family friend she had always taken care of Edmund when in her company.
Edmund only half listened to Susan as she chatted amicably about her family's visit to China, her aunt's recent appointment as head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and how excited she was to start at Hogwarts. Edmund spent most of his time looking around at the people on the platform. A family of redheads were clustered together, a little girl crying next to her mother as her brothers boarded the train. He was distracted by Susan pulling him into a compartment near the back, which already housed two boys sitting across from each other. "Seats available?" Susan asked shyly.
A tall dark-skinned boy smiled at them. "Of course," he gestured to the empty space in the compartment. "I'm Dean. Dean Thomas."
"Terry Boot," his companion held up a hand.
Relieved to find an uncrowded compartment, Edmund took his trunk and thrusted it upon the overhead. Being raised among siblings who could not stop talking, he was accustomed to listening to the conversation as Susan introduced them to the two boys. He learned that Dean was muggle born, that he lived in London and was a fan of something called 'footie.' Terry was the oldest of his siblings to attend Hogwarts and had no idea what House he would be sorted into, as his father and mother came from Ravenclaw and Gryffindor respectively. When asked, Edmund and Susan discussed how both of their families had been proud members of Hufflepuff for as long as anyone could remember, and that was probably where they were headed.
Their conversation was interrupted as a sorrowful round-faced boy came into their compartment. "Excuse me," he muttered quietly. "But have any of you seen a toad? I've already lost mine.."
"Sorry mate," Terry shook his head. "But if I see anything I'll be sure to find you."
Thanking them, the boy left the compartment, a bushy haired girl in tow. Susan, Terry, and Dean started talking again about everything and anything under the sun, leaving Edmund lost in his thoughts. He was destined to be in Hufflepuff, which was lucky, because he had no idea where he would fit in without practically being house royalty. His mother was the only one he knew to be a hatstall, where the sorting hat took longer than five minutes to decide what house a student would be sent to, and she was not a Fawley by blood. Both Merry and Sullivan had been sorted into Hufflepuff as soon as the hat touched their head, at least according to Pomona Sprout, the head of house. He had every confidence that he would be too.
As the train pulled in at Hogsmeade Station, the four companions departed the compartment together, clad in their plain black Hogwarts robes. As they were leaving they heard a booming voice calling for the first years to stay with him while the other students filed up the drive and out of sight. "That must be Hagrid!" Susan whispered excitedly, loud enough for the three boys to hear.
"He's so big," Dean breathed.
Fawley merely looked on. He had heard of Hagrid, the beloved gamekeeper of the school. The half-giant was talking to a small boy with black hair. Something seemed to be off with the boy, but he could not place his finger on it. Pushing his thoughts away, he followed Hagrid and the other first years to the bank of a lake, where a fleet of rowboats were waiting for them. Separated from Susan, Dean, and Terry, Fawley stepped into a boat at random. He saw the pale blonde hair of the boy sitting in front and shuddered. He knew from listening to his father that the Malfoys were bad news. He had been warned to watch his back when his grandfather found out that Lucius Malfoy's son would be attending school with him.
As Hogwarts came into view he could not help but gasp as the towering spires and walls of the castle loomed over him. A small smile crept onto his face as he finally realized that he was here. He had waited since Merry went off and now finally, it was his turn. Things were going to be alright.
Hagrid led them out of a small harbor underneath the rocky cliff the school sat upon, and made their way to the castle where they were met by a tall and formidable woman Fawley could only guess to be Professor McGonagall. She briefly lectured the first years on the Houses, and the expectations demanded from them. As she left them in a side room from the entrance hall, he decided she was not one he would want to cross.
Waiting in the side chamber was excruciatingly boring, but he masked his impatience and stood in the corner of the room. He could make out Susan chatting to another girl; the bushy haired one who had been following the toad boy, but he himself was not in a talkative mood. He began to look around at the people he would be attending classes with, possibly sharing a common room with. He saw Draco Malfoy standing with two thugs, he watched a tall red haired boy, from the red head family he saw on the platform, whisper to the slim black haired boy who he had seen talking to Hagrid. There was something about him, but he still couldn't place it. He saw the ghosts walk into the room, and was pleased to finally see the Fat Friar, who his grandfather claimed was a distant relative, a reason why the family had stayed religious. He took all this in, analyzing everything. He was not boisterous like his brother or outgoing like his sister, but both of them had used their skills to achieve at school. Edmund knew he needed to use his own skills to succeed by himself.
As they were led into the Great Hall, he searched for his siblings faces. Sure enough, Merry and Sullivan Fawley both could be seen watching him excitedly at the Hufflepuff table. Edmund saw his brother whisper something to Cedric next to him, who also gave him an encouraging smile.
Before long, he found himself clustered at the foot of the platform where Professor McGonagall had placed the sorting hat on a stool. Waiting in anticipation, some of the first years jumped back a little as the hat burst into song.
Oh you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
if you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folks use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!
Edmund smiled briefly at the song. It was clever, but he doubted many would appreciate the wit the sorting hat employed over sheer entertainment. He watched as Hannah Abbot was sorted into Hufflepuff, followed closely by Susan. He smiled briefly at Susan as she made her way to the Hufflepuff table as Terry was sent to Ravenclaw. While Lavender Brown was sorted into Gryffindor, Millicent Bulstrode became the first sorted into Slytherin. The sorting had made Edmund take a hard think about the House of Serpents. It was not something that they had discussed on the train. In fact, Terry and Susan had avoided talking about them at all. He briefly felt sorry for Millicent as she took her seat among her new house. She would be resigned to a fierce rivalry not only with Gryffindor, but the other two houses.
Turning his attention back to the sorting, Tracy Davis, was sorted into Slytherin. Before he knew it, Professor McGonagall was calling from her scroll, "Edmund Fawley."
All the nervousness he had pushed out of his system all day suddenly returned to Edmund. He could feel the Hufflepuff table practically brimming with excitement at another Fawley joining their ranks. Forcing himself to walk up the steps to the platform, he turned around and sat on the stool. The last thing he saw before the sorting hat was placed over his eyes was a thumbs-up from Sullivan.
"Tricky…" Fawley froze as the Sorting Hat pondered him. "Another Fawley…. But so much more then another Fawley aren't we boy?"
The hat went silent as the minutes ticked by. Edmund became incredibly nervous. His mother had been a hatstall, but to be one was incredibly rare. What was worse is he had no idea what other house the hat was debating for him.
"Yes, I suppose they could use you," the hat started up again. "Let's go with…. SLYTHERIN."
A/N: There ends the first chapter. As I mentioned above, this story aims to experiment with how Edmund Fawley, reacts to the wizarding world in conjunction with Harry and his friends. I don't have any idea of how long this will be yet but suffice to say I am trying to strike a good balance between Fawley's character development and how his actions will affect (or not affect) Harry's.