Author: Junius

Summary: Various peripheral characters from the Harry Potter series ponder the return of the Dark Lord and what it means to them… CHAPTER 1 - DEAN

Notes: One day, after finishing OotP for the umpteenth time, I sat back and reflected on how JK Rowling had included some "outside" perspective in the book, for a change (usually it's all in Harry-cam). This, in turn, led me to wonder how the lesser characters of the Harry Potter series reacted to the return of Voldemort and how it affects them. Somehow, it turned into this series of short stories; each one telling what I imagine the character in question might be thinking.

Disclaimer: Names and places belong to JK Rowling and her associates. However, the plot is mine, so feel free to tell me, with cruel honesty, what you think.

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DEAN

There are times, very few and far between, that I wish I knew who my real father is. Don't get me wrong, my stepdad is great, but there are a few things I reckon only my real dad could have explained. Like when I was eight and my teacher was going off at me for something when the ruler she was holding just splintered in her hand. Or the time my brother Luke and I were fighting over the remote and the TV suddenly shorted out. Or the time I got a letter in the mail informing me I'd been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

At least, I assume it was him who gave me my "magical blood". Certainly wasn't Mum; when I got my first letter, she thought it was a joke. It wasn't until we had a few hundred copies she decided it was for real.

I suppose I'll never know for sure, though, unless Mum decides to tell me who he is. I've asked about him a few times, but each time Mum just buttons up and tells me it doesn't matter, I've got a better dad now. Which I can sort of understand; my father must have done a real number on her, walking out when I was just a baby.

But Mum doesn't realise that now I need to know.

The Dark Lord is back. Harry's been saying it for ages, but now the newspapers say it too. It's difficult to wrap my head around just what this means. But one thing I do know: the Dark Lord and the rest of his scum hate Mudbloods. And that's exactly what I am.

I feel like it's my father's fault I'm in this mess. If he wasn't magical, I wouldn't be magical, and I would be totally unaware of the chaos that the wizarding world is currently in. I would be going to secondary school, hanging out with friends around London, cheering for West Ham United, and doing all the things normal Muggle teenagers do.

But instead, I'm learning magic and worrying about my family. They don't know about the Dark Lord's return yet. Sure, they've heard the rumours, but that's all they thought they were: rumours. I don't want to tell them it's true. I don't want them to know that because of me, they're all in danger. Because of my father's magical blood, we've all been marked.

That's why I need to know who he is. I need to find out where I come from and where I stand. I don't want to sound as if I hate that part of me. However annoyed I am that my father walked out on me, I love being a wizard. I've made some great friends and learned heaps of things other people would kill to know. And none of that would have happened if my father hadn't been magical.

And though I love my family, they aren't magical; I might have a whole magical family out there that I'm unaware of and I want to meet them before it's too late. Maybe they can help us, protect us. I've been training to fight with Seamus and Harry and a heap of others, but it's not enough; I can't protect my family from Death Eaters with the Bat Bogey Hex.

I can't say I'm not angry with my father, because I am. He walked out on Mum and me and turned my life upside down, but it doesn't matter now. Blood is still blood and I need to know his name so I can put my existence into some sort of perspective.

But that's not the only reason. Sometimes, when I hear about the sort of things that happened last time the Dark Lord was around, I think of my real dad and wonder how he's doing, whether he's still alive. Does he know that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is back? Is he safe?

Or is he a Death Eater himself?

I just don't know.

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Incidentally, I got a lot of information on Dean's background off JK Rowling's official website. For anyone who hasn't been there, I advise you to do so at once! Not only is it very interesting and written entirely by JK herself, but there's several little titbits on storylines and characters JK had to abandon as well as extra info on those that were kept. Makes for some very good reading if you've finished the series for the thousandth time and have an absurd interest in trivia (such as I).

Chapter 2 is already written and will be posted soon.