Title: Rewriting History
Summary: After the war, they all expected him to get married, settle down and have a family. Ron wanted nothing of the sort so it's no surprise that he gets tired of it and leaves. 10 years later Gringotts employs its first personal mediwizard who also happens to be a ward maker.
Paring: Undecided
Rating: T (may change later)
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort
Hello peeps! I am alive! I managed to update somewhat reasonably as well. I still need ideas for A Secret Worth Mentioning so that's not being updated. On the bright side. I have couple one shots that should be up hopefully before or around New Year.
Anyway, this chapter is some info on what went on with Ron.
Read and Please review.
Chapter 3: A long Absence
Ron spent some time disappearing. He decided to live in a small integrated community in which both muggles and wizards lived peacefully both equally aware of each other and equally accepting. The village was a well known place people stumbled upon and never quite left. Of course people didn't actually know but they are many things you can hear in conversations and rumors especially when you're looking to disappear. It had everything that was necessary for its residents and so people did not leave very often if at all. There was a large mansion just off the side of the town a little ways into the woods but nobody bought it because there were ghosts haunting it.
At first he didn't believe it probably just some dark curse or something but when he went to tour it, he found that there were indeed two ghosts in the residence.
He was walking towards the second floor study when he heard the sound of talking. He knocked and opened the door to find a couple sitting opposite each other engaged in idle chatter. It was a nice older couple albeit a ghost one and when they noticed him; they turned to him, features bank and waited for him to start screaming.
He simply smiled and asked,"Would you mind if I moved in here?"
He could read the shock on their faces, but the man recovered quickly and said, "Yes, you may stay. It was very kind of you to ask. Most people never stick around once they caught sight of us, let alone maintain a conversation. It's nice to meet you. We are the previous residents of the house, Mary and Todd Keathe. "
Mary piped in, "While we have each other, it would be nice to have some company."
He bought the mansion after that, cleaned it, bought furniture that wasn't already there and chatted with the couple. He didn't tell them about the past and they never asked although they did ask what he did for a living. He told them about his unsatisfactory job as an auror. They suggested possible careers for him from robe-making to being a wand crafting most of which were shot down by Ron or said that he didn't have the experience or the requisite.
After being cooped up in the house for almost a year, during which he found a bunch of cookbooks belonging to Mary and with her permission and guidance learned to cook beautifully, the couple decided that if he was looking for a job in something he's interested in, he should learn different things and decide what he likes best.
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And so it went, Ron found that each of them were well versed in many things and had no qualms about teaching him. Afterall, what else were they to do? Ron continued cooking but also learned archery, knife wielding, gardening, herbology, and a multitude of spells many wandless and/or wordless, that he never knew existed. They were very useful, he even worked on creating his own charms and spells. He learned swordsmanship, dueling, spellcasting, and ward making from Todd. In this way, almost two years passed.
One day, Todd asked if he was good at potions. Ron said that his potions professor's called him the most incompetent member of his family that he's ever had the displeasure to teach. Todd waved it off and said that a potions master could teach the most incompetent student out there. Ron chuckled and said that his professor was a potions master. Todd shook his head and said that he would see just how incompetent he was for himself.
So they went down to learn potions and Todd walked him through making a potion and warding properly due to his inexperience. They continued the practise of all the other lessons at the same time and Ron found that once he understood the art, the rest was fun and he loved creating his own potions. He created many that should they be released to the public they would be considered dark and banned. He dabbled in the dark arts and knew there was a difference in being dark and being evil. He learned that there was adventure in going out and looking for potion ingredients. He also learned that wards weren't alway fail proof especially when it came to potions.
Almost a year after he started taking lessons, Ron decided with the help of the older couple who had become something akin to parents to him that he wanted to change his appearance and become someone else. He told them about his life. He position in his family as the youngest boy and the least noticeable. Bill was head boy and popular, Charlie was the quidditch star, Percy got a nice ministry job fresh out of Hogwarts, the twins were fun and pranksters, Ginny was the girl, the sweet kind girl that captured Harry's heart but him? He wasn't considered smart, funny, great, he was just Ron. His parent didn't really give him a second glance. Sure he had become a war hero but so had his family and he had always simply been known as Harry Potter's shadow.
The Keathes taught him otherwise and he learned to believe himself worthy of the Keathes' love and affection as well as love them back. So with those thoughts in mind he changed through spells and potions all permanent. He never liked his tall lanky appearance and large hands so he made himself smaller and more petite with delicate but worn hands. He grew long waist length hair that changed to an deep ebony color. He refused Todd suggestion of having a mustache. While beards were much too plebeian for most purebloods' taste some had mustaches. He changed his blue eyes to silver swirls. He also altered his cheekbones and thinned his face slightly. There were such basic changes but enough so that no one would recognize him. The Keathe 's were worried about age similarities so he took a potion that made him 16 years old physically but retain his mind. He became Marley Winsworth Keathe. He slowly went out to shop once in awhile in main wizarding markets and even learned the mirror speak charm. It allowed communication from mirror to mirror and helped him talk to the Keathes when out of the house. He would occasionally do mission and things for people, all illegal at least in the muggle world but paid in cash; after all, he had to earn money somehow. Most muggles with powerful positions knew about wizardkind or at least that there were people with powers out there and sought to use them for their purposes. He wore a mask and never gave his name but in the underworld, he was notoriously known as the Silver Mist, a man without fear. He did the most dangerous missions and the most ruthless kills. Of course the real reason he did them was because he wanted adventure and danger the way he felt in the war. Harry might have moved on, most likely looking forward to not having to worry about Voldemort after him and so many lives depending on him but Ron loved the feel of fighting and the danger.
He found that Mary had been a medi-wizard and Todd had been a potions master in life. He also learned that they had a very rare library in their house and that many of the books were interesting and fun to read. In fact, he learned multiple languages such as French, Spanish, Italian, German, Russian and even Gobbledegook. Before he knew it, 6 more years had passed (10 years since he left Hermione that day).
However, he couldn't keep doing this forever even if it did come with a nice pay check. One day, with the prompting of Mary and Todd, he finally went out to get himself a job at Gringotts because they were independent of the wizarding world and probably wouldn't ask too many questions.
He walked up to a counter and said to the goblin, "I'd like to speak to Griphook."
The goblin nodded and turned muttering under his breath in Gobbledegook, "Stupid Wizard, demanding service. Asking for the Chief Goblin. No respect, not even a greeting."
Marley(A/N:I'm going to call him Marley from now on.) heard and a mischievous grin spread on his face as he responded, in Gobbledegook, "My apologies for being disrespectful but I assumed you wouldn't appreciate wizard greetings and that there should be regard for the other patrons. It seemed I was wrong. I apologize." He ended with a bowed head for effect.
The goblin gaped at him along with the couple standing to the left in front of an empty counter. Harley chuckled inwardly as the goblin finally recovered and left most likely to call Griphook.
Sure enough, less than a minute later the goblin returned and said, "Griphook will see you now, the last door on the left."
Marley nodded and turned down the hall, speaking in of course gobbledegook, "may your future financial endeavors be profitable."
The goblin stared at him before shaking his head and going about his business most likely aiming to pretend the event hadn't bothered him.
Marley continued onward and knocked as he stood outside Griphook's door.
A deep voice granted him entrance as he opened the door, stepped inside and let the door closed behind him.
Griphook gestured to the chair across from his desk, "Have a seat."
Marley sat down with an inaudible sigh. "I need help and I want a job." he said bluntly.
"What makes you believe I can provide you with a job? Do you have any skills?"Griphook asked.
"I am a man who doesn't exist. I don't have any record of myself but I am a potions master, skilled mediwizard, and a cursebreaker. I am also adept at ward making and various other things one of them being speaking Gobbledygook." Marley noted the surprise flicker across his face for a brief second. "I want help to create an identity and somehow figure a way to create a vague but acceptable background. I hope Gringotts is willing to do so as I am more than willing to work for whatever price."
Marley inwardly smirked as he watched the gears turn inside Griphook head as he weighed the pros and cons. It wouldn't be difficult to forge the documents but placing them might be. However, they would be largely profited if they hired him. While many of their employees had been killed in the war, the rest of the world still functioned and thus much of their profits had dropped. They searched for replacements but not many were qualified. This strange man might make Gringotts a lot of money.
Griphook made his decision, "Are you willing to pay a thousand galleons for your new identity to be created?" At Marley's nod, Griphook continued, "Gringotts is willing to hire you but first what is your name, the one you choose to take on?"
"Marley Winsworth Keathe." Harley replied.
Griphook looked him over searchingly, seeming to find what he was looking for he nodded, "It appears that we are currently in need of a ward maker and we could do with a medi-wizard you have been employed, Mr. Keathe. Is there anything else you want from me?"
Marley seemed to think for a moment,"I want a will for my previous life. Can I do that?"
Griphook nodded, "You most certainly can. You simply have to give a blood sample to prove that you are you and then you can have your will written up."
Marley smiled, "Can you also fake someone's death for example mine 1 month from today? I would of course pay you 500 galleons for doing so. "
Practically gleeful at the thought of a wizard willingly offering such a large sum of money (15 hundred in a single sitting!) Griphook readily consented but told him that it would have to be at a later date. Marley nodded and it was decided that he would return at a later date.
"Now tell me more about your skills and the history we should write up. You are aware of the fact that Keathe is a pureblood name?"
"Yes. I live at their place. I'd like them to be my parents."
Griphook sighed, "Now most of the credentials are easily obtained and just as easy to forge but I must ask seeing as you are such a young man, whose apprentice were you that you were able to become a potions master at this age. At what age did you become a potions master?"
Marley's mind flashed back to when he had discovered that he could apprentice himself to Todd. Marley looked up from the book he was reading grinning.
Todd frowned at the loony grin lighting the boy's face. He called him a boy because that despite how absolutely terrifying he may be in combat, he was still very innocent. Thanks to the potion the boy was apparently 17 years old but Marley was quite small for a male, a mere 5'5". In truth he looked barely 12 or He looked over the boy and noted that his frame was extremely thin. He would have to get him to eat more but the boy could be stubborn. Nonetheless, Todd would try; the boy looked barely a couple stones.
The boy smiled and asked, "Can I be your apprentice?"
Todd's breath caught( as much as a ghost's breath can be) as he looked at the boy who was his son in everything but blood. Tears welled up in his eyes as he thought of how he had always wanted a son who he could teach potions but their son had died at an age to young to teach and they were unwilling to try for another child and so when they met Marley they were very lucky.
Seeing his son? Yes, his son look at him with such hope and admiration he automatically said yes smiling as his son beamed brightly.
"18. I'm currently 20. Did you know that you can apprentice yourself to any potions Master alive or otherwise? Of they have to be there somehow be it a portrait or a ghost. Todd was a potions master so….."
Griphook gasped as he connected the dots rather quickly, "Do you mean to tell you managed to become the apprentice of one of the world's most legendary potions master? The ones whose death wizards all over the world are lamenting? THE Todd Keathe?"
Marley nodded nonchalantly.
"Is there any chance you might be the man they proclaim is next Flamel? The man who managed to bottle and sell invisibility. The man who bothers to make both vastly important things and trifle potions at the same time as selling them at affordable prices. The one people are searching high and low to find?"
Marley blushed but nodded,"Yes."
If possible, Griphook grinned even wider, "Gringotts would like to employ your potions making services as well. All credit will go to you of course and Gringotts will pay for the ingredients or the cost for you to obtain them. We will also be will to pay for your ingredients. We will sell your potions at the virtually the same price since there were such high sales in the first place. "
Marley smiled at the thought of being able to obtain the ingredients that far exceeded his price range.
Griphook asked a little more about the past they would create and together they create a vague but solid backstory for Marley.
Griphook used Marley's contact mirror to speak with the Keathes and after seeing the way the fond way they spoke of Marley, he knew they wouldn't mind if Marley became known as the current Lord Keathe. He also became the Lord of the Ancient house of Rosier through Mary and the Lord of the Noble house of Fawley through Todd's mother. Griphook informed him that being the Lord of two Noble Houses and an Ancient house meant of Keathe gave he would have hold three seats in the Wizengamot.
Finally as all was said and done, Marley shook hands with Griphook and stood to leave. "Be aware that I will floo you for your assignments so let me know when you are unavailable. "
Marley nodded, "Of course. Although feel free to call me whenever, I'm used to working at the oddest of times. "
Griphook looked intrigued by this new information and wanted to ask about his previous employment in order to perhaps know more about his mysterious employee.
Harley saw the question in the Goblin's eye but chose not to answer it directly and instead stated, "I was known as the Silver Mist."
Judging from the widening of the Goblin's eyes, the Goblin knew the name.
Before the Goblin could even respond, Harley turned to the door with a smile and left.
What'd you think? I know I didn't really show too much about the passage of time but I wanted a faster build up.
Who should next chapter feature: Ron or one of the other Weasleys?
chemrunner57: Glad you think so!
Guest: I know, right?
KisunaFuji: Same. I wanted Bill to care because he is the oldest sibling.
Marsetta: No sweat. Thanks for understanding and liking it.
notsing: I agree. It becomes acceptable until the point that it is normal and so you don't really realize until you start to make comparisons and even then the parents typically come up with excuses for it but the truth is there are no excuses.
I find that people often ask why don't you treat him the same way but that shouldn't be the question. The question is why treat someone like that at all.
