Title: Rowan's Journey
Rating: K+
Summary: Rowan Dumas had always known he's different, but a wizard? And his family isn't too happy with it.
Notes: This story is not my first attempt at a Harry Potter OC fic, but the others had all been deleted, because they were borderline Mary Sue's—a perfect girl with angst, etc. So, I decided to go with a boy, Rowan, who has been in my head for several fandoms. So, this is Rowan's story. ---SPOILER! STOP READING NOTES NOW!---And, yes, I know first years never make the house teams, but I was dying to write Quidditch, and knowing me, I possibly won't get to Rowan's second year.----END SPOILER!
Also, I do have the official version of Quidditch Through The Ages, but am not interested in plagiarism to the degree of copying all its information, word for word, about Quidditch from it. So, I made up my own passages.
Richard Dumas was a very successful man. He was one of four children, the only boy, and the youngest to boot. While his sisters flounced around, eyeing boys, Richard, who was among the more handsome of students, studied hard. The girls were all disappointed, as was his father; he wasted his charm and good looks. Richard had inherited his father's huge build, dark hair, and gold eyes. And his eyes were gold; occasionally, they'd grow darker, but most often, there were light gold.
Richard, however, was determined to live his own life, and he saw his father, who worked as a mechanic during the day, drank at night, and did odd jobs on the weekend. His mother, a meek woman, did not question her husband, and allowed him to do as he saw fit with his children.
Richard graduated high school second in his class, and went to school to become a real estate agent. Real estate agents made good money, especially if they started their own businesses, and Richard did, along with a partner from school, Megan Ashwood.
Megan Ashwood had honey-blonde hair and pretty china blue eyes. She was also very smart, with a sharp tongue but a soft heart. She graduated two places above Richard in college; he came in fourth.
For three years, their relationship never progressed beyond an occasional lunch together. But, finally, Richard asked Megan out on a date, and, after another two years, they were engaged, and Megan was expecting their first child.
Of course, Richard wasn't entirely sure he was ready; still, with their business booming, they could easily afford a three-bedroom house with a backyard, a small pool, and a white picket fence. They bought the house in Canterbury, where Megan's family lived; Richard didn't have much contact with his own family. His sisters had all married and had children, his mother was slowly going senile, and his father was one drink away from liver failure.
From there, they had four children: Jenna was their first; three years later, Todd was born. Then came Leena, four years after, and three years after that, came Rowan.
Their first three children were perfectly normal. But there was always something different about Rowan. A quiet, intense boy, he made friends easily but had only a few close ones; he was also very odd-looking, in a magnetic way. He had his parents' oddest traits—his mother's leonine build and golden hair, and his father's gold eyes.
Ever since he'd learned to walk and talk, he didn't listen to his parents. It wasn't out of spite—he simply didn't accept their explanations, and had to learn the hard way. He was also very energetic, and thus it was hard to find him a baby-sitter. He had broken his arms once, his left leg once, and sprained both his ankles numerous times.
He did well in certain classes—art and the reading, writing, and spelling classes—but failed most of the others. He was very good at soccer, but refused to play the other sports. All in all, he was a handful.
His siblings liked to tease him about his odd looks and habits all the time; he got it at school, too, and learned to fight well early. The school psychologist saw him regularly all fourth grade, but nothing happened.
And then, two weeks after his May 5th birthday, an owl arrived at his house.
He was sitting at the table at breakfast, listening to his oldest sister, Jenna, prattle on about her newest boyfriend, when his mother made a strangled noise and a huge white bird flew through the kitchen, dropping a letter in front of Rowan and flying off.
Everyone was shocked, but slowly, Rowan broke open the odd wax seal on the letter and opened it.
The letter was written on old paper—parchment—in thick, dark ink. No pen could have written that. At first, Rowan couldn't make sense of it, but once he was done, it made sense:
HOGWARTS SCHOOL
Of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. Of Wizards)
Dear Mr. Dumas,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Minerva McGonagall,
Deputy Headmistress
As we are aware that you are the child of two Muggles, a phone number has been provided for contact. Please call as soon as possible for more information.
Rowan handed the note to his father, who read it, a scowl forming.
"What is this rubbish?" his father demanded. "School of witchcraft? I won't stand for it! And an owl!"
"Richie," his mother said soothingly. "Calm down, please. Why would someone go through this much trouble for a prank? See, there's even a number."
"It's a trick, I say, some sick man thinks he's being funny."
Sighing, Megan herself rose and went to the phone. She dialed the number, and someone picked up, but Rowan paid no attention; his mind was on the letter.
A wizard? He was a wizard? Part of him was excited; finally, something his siblings hadn't done! And it would explain his oddness; he wasn't like his family. He was special.
"Well," Megan said, sitting down. She looked at all of them; her three oldest children were both amused and annoyed. "I got someone. A woman. She says it isn't a joke; and she wants us to meet her in front of a pub in London at noon in two days."
"Absolutely not!" Richard said. "Even if I believed this rubbish, I've already enrolled Rowan in school. A good one, too; cost me a lot of money."
"I know, dear," Megan said indulgently. She knew her husband's stubbornness, and the love he had for his children; she also knew how Rowan struggled to fit in, and knew that, perhaps, this school was best for her youngest child.
"Please, dad? Can't we go? Just to see, please?" Rowan begged. He rarely asked for anything, and never begged. His siblings looked at him in surprise, and so did his father.
"Well…alright. But mark my words, it's a trick of some sort." Richard finally muttered, deciding to ignore it and eat breakfast, so he could get to work.
"She also wants us to bring the letter, and perhaps $200."
"What?" Richard asked, more shocked than annoyed. He was rich; $200 wasn't a lot of money. But why would he need it?
"She said it was to buy school supplies, for Rowan."
"Ah, see!" Todd insisted. "There you go. They want money."
Rowan stayed quiet, his heated gaze resting on his brother. Todd especially loved messing with him, mostly because Rowan was the only other boy, and he could rough him up without worrying too much. Rowan, who was much smaller and slimmer, hated it with a passion.
To make matters worse, none of them except his mother seemed to be taking the letter and phone call seriously. While Rowan was anxious for the day to come, they obviously couldn't have cared less.
They'll see, Rowan thought furiously. It's real. They'll see that I am special, not just weird.
I'll show them all.
This was the first chapter. At least one other is complete, as is most of a third. What do you think? Reviews of any kind are welcome, including MISTAKE CORRECTIONS--I am sometimes bad about tenses, and am interested in correcting them.