Introduction: Paul Harvey, for those of you who never had the good fortune to hear him on the radio, was an American newscaster (that's his picture up at the top of the page there, courtesy of Godreports-dot-com) who was best known for the series of historical essays that he broadcast under the general title of "The Rest of the Story". He would relate an anecdote about some distinguished historical figure, identifying him or her only in the vaguest of terms ("Pierre", for instance, or "the farmer"). Only at the very end would he reveal whom he was talking about, after which he would wrap things up with his classic tag line, "Now you know the rest of the story."
What this anthology contains, therefore, is a series of possible histories for various fictional characters, told in the style that Paul Harvey made famous. The first two have previously been posted in the Harry Potter subcategory (the first, in fact, was the first story I ever posted on this site), but those that follow them could come from any fandom. But I promise you that all of these are the untold stories of characters you know, from books/TV series/etc. that boast substantial fandoms on this site. (Which doesn't mean, of course, that you'll necessarily recognize them right away.)
General disclaimer: None of the fandoms that will be drawn upon in this series are based on material written by me. Nor am I Paul Harvey (who is dead now, anyway).
Malachy Gosselin, Professor of Divination at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, came bursting into the Headmaster's office without so much as a how-do-you-do.
The Headmaster, mildly perturbed, glanced up from his papers and asked if the Professor had an ethical problem with using the knocker. Professor Gosselin replied that he didn't, but that since this was a matter of the greatest urgency, perhaps the Headmaster would excuse the impropriety.
The Headmaster, who was well accustomed to Professor Gosselin's matters of great urgency, nodded impatiently and motioned for him to explain.
Professor Gosselin said that he had been gazing into his crystal, as he was accustomed to do every Saturday afternoon, and had seen the most ghastly vision. It seemed that a certain Hufflepuff student – whose name, he believed, was Higgins…
Here the Professor glanced up at the Headmaster, who nodded. Yes, he said, there was a Hufflepuff student named Higgins, a first year.
"In that case," said Professor Gosselin, "I will come right to the point. Miss Higgins does not belong at this school."
The Headmaster laughed bitterly. To hear her tell it, he said, Miss Higgins did not belong anywhere.
But Gosselin was adamant. The student Higgins, he said, must be sent home. If she remained at Hogwarts, she would suffer a hideous fate no later than her third year.
What fate? Well, Professor Gosselin wasn't sure. The crystal, he said, hadn't been clear on that point, though it seemed rather to indicate a death by drowning…
Smiling ever so slightly, the Headmaster said that even if Professor Gosselin were right, dismissing Miss Higgins would not be so easy as he made out. Both of her parents were Muggles, and both ridiculously proud of having a young enchantress among their children. If she were to be expelled…
"Then transfer her to Beauxbatons!" said Professor Gosselin. "Or Durmstrang! Or any of a hundred lesser schools, only do not leave her here!"
And with that, he turned and strode from the office.
For a while, the Headmaster sat, lost in thought. Then he pulled a piece of parchment from his desk and wrote a letter to Mr and Mrs Higgins, explaining that the Divination teacher had had a rather disturbing vision concerning their daughter's death by drowning. If they wished to take the warning seriously and transfer her to some other wizarding school, he would thoroughly understand.
He addressed the letter, gave it to his personal owl, Burke, and sent it off.
The Higginses' reply came three days later, in no uncertain terms. Their daughter, they said, was not going to be removed from the best wizarding school in the English-speaking world because of the half-baked doomsday prophecies of some mad faculty member.
And the Headmaster, who tended to share this opinion of Professor Gosselin, put the letter aside and forgot about the whole affair.
Until the next year.
Because, you see, Professor Gosselin had been right. Miss Higgins – the first-year, Muggle-born Hufflepuff student – would indeed meet her doom in her second year at Hogwarts.
And if she did not, in fact, die by drowning – well, perhaps Professor Gosselin had misread the significance that water was to play in the life – and after-life – of Myrtle Higgins.
Moaning Myrtle Higgins.
And now you know THE REST OF THE STORY.