Disclaimer: I forgot to add one last time, but the lack of multiple millions in my bank account is a good enough sign that I am, not, in fact, JK Rowling.
X-XXX-X
April 1999
Dennis Benedict Creevey was fifteen when he knew what he wanted to do with his life. Not nine, when he discovered magic was real (thanks to his brother Colin receiving a letter to attend a Wizarding school, as the kind-hearted Prof Sprout explained); not eleven, when he got to go to Hogwarts too; not fourteen, when he sat by his late brother's body and comforted his brother's sobbing girlfriend whilst feeling his own stomach caving in on itself; but fifteen when his Head of House sat his listless self down in her office for career advice and he spotted a pamphlet on the Auror Office.
"Mostly As, a few Es in all your subjects, Mr. Creevey, though Professor Hagrid indicated in his evaluation that you demonstrate rather an aptitude for Care of Magical Creatures; with some effort you could score an O in your COMC OWL. Defence is probably one of your best subjects, in my opinion, I expect you could get an O in that OWL as well. Other subjects may need work, especially Potions, where you are currently averaging between an A and a P. Professor Slughorn has noted that your lack of focus may be what is working against you; you will need to work harder if you hope to pass your Potions OWL, and you do not have that much time – just shy of two months, so intensive study will be required. A lack of Ancient Runes and Arithmancy does mean that most of the research-based careers are probably out of scope, but you are in a prime position to enter most Ministry based careers, if that is your wish. Have you put any thought into what it is you might want to do after you leave Hogwarts?"
"Not really, Professor… I suppose something in the Ministry? I haven't put much thought into it, if I'm honest…" Dennis trailed off as Professor Jones shuffled some pamphlets in response to his words, causing a bright maroon brochure to become more readable from behind its cream and grey peers.
Auror Office. Dark Wizard catchers. Dolohov.
The thought that Colin's killer was running free nauseated him, filled him with blind fury, but he almost welcomed it as a break from the numbness that had become his everyday ever since 2nd of May, 1998. He had nearly decided to not return to Hogwarts when he had seen that article, but the thought of turning his back on the Wizarding World was sickening in a different way, like cutting off a limb. And now…
"Mr. Creevey?" Professor Jones's voice cut through the fog in his ears, and he realised that he had been staring, transfixed, in silence, for the last five minutes.
"Auror," he said, meeting Professor Jones's blue eyes for the first time all afternoon. "I want to be an Auror."
X-XXX-X
Hestia stared back at the diminutive boy in front of her, spine straightened and shoulders thrown back, a fire in his eyes that had been absent for as long as she had taught him. Sure, the boy was reasonably talented at Defence, probably one of the strongest in his year. But privately, she was sceptical. His size and stature was all wrong for an Auror, though magic was a great equalizer, she conceded. Potions aside – nothing a little tutoring couldn't fix – Dennis was, in her opinion, approaching his future career from the wrong standpoint. You needed passion and a desire for justice to be an Auror, true. But hot-headed revenge was not the best motivator. It was apt to make him reckless and get him killed, and, she thought tiredly, Gryffindors didn't need to be any foolhardier than they already were. Besides, the Creeveys couldn't handle losing another son. She remembered Margaret and Will from the safe house…
"Why?" she asked, mildly, watching the twin spots of colour rise high up on his cheeks.
"Because the Wizarding World needs people to step up and make sure the fight is over. I'm two years away from graduating, but there will always be evil in this world, Professor. My brother gave his life to fight that evil when he was barely a year older than I am today. I want to honour his legacy. And I want to catch his killer."
"And what if his killer is apprehended before you join the Auror Office? What if he's caught by an Auror other than yourself? Does that shake your resolve to join?"
"I-" Dennis appeared shaken slightly. "I don't know, Professor. But it feels right. It feels like it's going to be me. At least – I have to try."
"I would advise you to think on it, Mr. Creevey, because this is not a decision to take lightly. The Auror Office accept nothing but the best, and the life is rigorous and demanding, and not just a little dangerous. However, since you have a bit more than two years to make up your mind, in the meanwhile, there is little harm in working towards your goal. Though the requirements have been temporarily relaxed, by the time you graduate they will have been reinstated, and you will require a minimum of Exceeds Expectations in 5 subjects at the NEWT level, which means that you will need to achieve that minimum in these subjects in your OWLs as well, to qualify for the classes. I would recommend taking on DADA, Transfiguration, Charms and Potions for the first four, while the fifth is up to you – given your aptitude for the subject, however, I would suggest Care of Magical Creatures. As you can see, this will necessitate a lot of work, particularly for Potions. These qualifications are broad enough that you could go on to any number of Ministry careers in the future, should you change your mind."
Hestia stopped and looked at him for a moment. She decided she liked what she saw.
"I am not raising objections because I doubt your capability, Dennis. I believe you do have what it takes to achieve your goal if you work hard enough. If necessary, I will speak to Professor Slughorn on your behalf and request him to provide you with extra lessons in the evenings so that you can achieve the E you need to go for NEWT Potions. However, I do want you to make sure you are doing this for the right reasons, whatever they may be, for yourself. My office is always open if you would like to discuss it further."
"Thank you, Professor. I think for now I'll – I'll take one of these pamphlets on the Auror Office with me – but I'll take a few others too. And if it's not too much trouble, I would appreciate if you would speak to Professor Slughorn too. Thank you."
X-XXX-X
"How did the career talk with Jones go, then?" Euan asked Dennis over Gobstones later that evening. It seemed like all Fifth Years were going to talk about nothing else all fortnight, Dennis mused, they'd already rehashed Euan's session in full detail the previous day, once in the Common Room and then again near the Lake with their non-Gryffindor friends. Natalie looked up from Charms homework expectantly at her boyfriend as Euan's question registered. Now they were both looking at him and he felt a slight panic in his chest. Natalie was Muggleborn, and had spent the year in a safe house with the horrors, both real and imagined, there. Half-blood Euan had been forced to endure life under the Carrows, singled out for his second-class citizen blood just enough that fighting back had never really seemed an option. He really didn't want to rake up any of those hellish memories, not when he felt so fragile himself.
Conversation about the Auror Office would invariably lead to conversation about the war… no one spoke about the war. It seemed that most of Hogwarts, at least the ones not involved with the DA, had decided to pretend the previous year just hadn't happened – at least until something triggered those hard-suppressed memories. It wasn't just Euan and Natalie he couldn't talk to – and they were his closest friends, so what chance did he have with anyone else? Kevin and Eleanor weren't the type to understand wanting to fight – they'd spent the whole of the previous year being as invisible as possible, and as purebloods, the worst of the Carrows had passed them by. Orla was much the same – she'd spent the last year in mute, terrified disapproval, buried in books with a neutered tongue in fear of what the Carrows could do – not so much to her pureblooded self, but to her halfblooded boyfriend. And there was no one else he could really count as a friend… maybe Astoria, but she was more Orla's friend than any of theirs, though she maintained a cordial friendship with Euan for Orla's sake. He'd always felt that his Muggleborn status made her mildly uncomfortable, given her rather traditional upbringing, but she'd never once said a disdainful word to him, just remained mildly reserved (though perfectly polite) when they'd been partnered in Transfiguration two years in a row; and had done her best to obfuscate his muggleborn identity amongst her fellow Slytherins by claiming knowledge of the fictitious Wizarding relatives that had allowed him to enter and survive the belly of the beast.
"Ah, it was fine," he said, after a pause just a hair too long to be believable, and cleared his throat to buy a little more time.
"I mean – I told her I didn't really know what I wanted to do, I mean, we're in bloody Fifth Year, are we seriously expected to choose lifelong careers at fifteen? Pretty sure my dad wasn't raring to be a milkman as a teenager, you know? I guess I'd probably go in for a Ministry job of some kind, and COMC is pretty fun – so maybe something in the Magical Creatures Department? I mean, it'll probably get me outdoors once in a while right? Anyway, so she handed me a bunch of pamphlets to go through and suggested I do the basics other than COMC – Transfiguration, Charms, Potions - and DADA is my best subject, so I'll stick with that for the extra O. But that does mean I'm going to need to work my arse off for Potions… I guess I'll ask Slughorn for extra help if he's available. You reckon I should ask Ginny to put in a good word?" he finished his ramble with a wry smile and a jerk of the chin in the redhead's direction. It was a well-known secret that the 'Battle of Hogwarts heroine', and the 'Wizarding World Saviour's paramour' was Slughorn's favourite student, eclipsed only by her best friend, the brains of the 'Golden Trio'.
He didn't know Ginny all that well, but she had been a good friend of Colin's, and in the wake of his death she had made it a point to check in on him every once in a while. She'd also been the face of the DA all of last year, alongside Neville, had fought in the Battle, had lost a brother… she would understand. Plus, practically everyone in her life was an Auror-Trainee – she was dating the Auror-Trainee, if he was honest… her opinion would probably be a good one to have. He ignored the twist in his gut at the thought of a younger Colin. Merlin, how sick was he, to find it harder to think about the memories of his brother alive than the reality of him being dead?
"Den?" a soft voice broke into his thoughts as an even softer hand slipped into his. Nat was looking at him with a furrowed brow, and Euan was very conspicuously rooting in his bookbag.
"It's nothing, Nat, just… memories. Can't avoid thoughts of him forever, though, can I? Not the healthiest coping mechanism." The melancholy in his voice was enough to turn his own stomach. Time to stop being so bloody pathetic, Creevey. He stood up, suddenly. "I'm going to have a chat with Ginny – I haven't really spoken to her much, especially about Colin. And I feel like I should – they were friends. Besides, she kind of gets it, I guess. Because of Fred." He leant over and pressed a light kiss to the corner of Nat's mouth. "I'll be back."
X-XXX-X
"Hey Ginny. Got a moment?" Ginny looked up from her parchment with a start at that hauntingly familiar voice, clear and high, quill splattering ink all over her Quidditch plays as it slipped from her slackened fingers.
"Oh! Sorry, Dennis, you startled me. Here – sit down, how are you doing?"
"I'm – okay. Mostly. Getting better. Trying to get better at not avoiding thoughts of Colin. How are you?"
"I'm… better than I thought I would be. And maybe a little surprised at how honest I'm being. What did you want to talk about?"
"First of all, I wanted to apologise – I don't think I ever really said how sorry I am about Fred. I know I didn't know him really, but WWW was my favourite shop in Diagon Alley – I saw an ad for the reopening, can't wait to check it out next time I'm there – and their daring escape back in 2nd year was probably one of the top ten greatest moments in Hogwarts history. And also – you were a good friend of Colin's, Ginny, probably one of his closest after Demmy. I'm sorry for not… trying."
"Merlin's sake, Dennis, don't apologise. It's been… a rough year. For all of us. But really, tell me, how are you doing?" Ginny's eyes narrowed in concern as they raked over his skinny, pale frame, landing on the wan skin stretched over the jut of his cheekbones and the purplish hollows under his eyes. They narrowed even more as Dennis sighed plaintively and collapsed in the chair next to her, looking older than any fifteen-year-old had the right to be and heartbreakingly young at the same time.
"It sounds kind of pathetic to say it, but Colin was more than my brother, he was my best friend. But also - more than my best friend, he was my brother. I can't get the expression he wore when he said goodbye to me before the Battle out of my mind. I can't – my parents and I, we don't really talk about it. We talk about him, but then Mum cries, and Dad gets really quiet, and I thought – I thought I would be okay eventually, but I'm not because Dolohov escaped; and there's just no justice in this world and it hurts just as much as it always did and I'm tired, Ginny."
"I know – I know I kind of know how you feel, but also I don't think I completely could, Dennis. You were Colin's world – he was so happy when you came to Hogwarts, wouldn't stop talking about you. I'm sorry – especially that there's no closure."
"I don't-" he stopped, clearing his throat past the lump that had suddenly appeared. His eyes burned strangely. "That's not what I came to talk to you about. I had the career advice session with Professor Jones and I was just wondering – what made Harry and Ron and Neville want to become Aurors? And how do you deal with it – the scrutiny, the fact that they're endangering themselves even though things are settled down (for the most part, anyway), the whole 'Auror lifestyle' of long hours and going away for day and weeks at a time?"
"If you want to be an Auror, Dennis – I think that's bloody brilliant. As for being 'an Auror spouse'," she said, vocalising quotation marks around the term, "yeah, it can be nerve-wracking to think about. Ron and Harry have both had such near scrapes so many times in their lives – especially Harry – that I'm constantly thinking, well, even a cat runs out of lives after nine goes; how many can even Harry bleeding Potter have? But this, this is what he was made for. And I think it's why I like him so much – he's a Gryffindor with a saviour complex and has a heroic streak that's inconveniently wide – but he's true to the person he is, and he's a good man through and through. He'll never forsake the right path for the easy way out. And he's at ease on the battlefield – it's what he's good at. I think it gives him peace." She paused; gave him a wry grin.
"And besides – I want to play professional Quidditch, it's not the safest of careers either, is it? Harry's going to be visiting by my bedside more than I will his, I reckon. And Ron? Ron will always have Harry's back – that's who he is. Besides, my brother's a damned sight more heroic than mum would've wanted too, I don't think he'd be happy going anywhere when there's still work to be done, Death Eaters to catch. Neville… I know this is unfinished business for Neville. I don't think Neville would be an Auror forever, but until the Lestranges are caught – this is personal, you know? But tell me – why do you look so stressed?"
"I don't think anyone's going to take it very well. I don't even know if I'll be able to make it or if I'll be any good. Jones suggested I take the necessary classes anyway and think about it until application time. I'm going to have to kick my arse into gear for Potions though – my worst subject, how did the three of them do it?"
"That's probably a good idea, though honestly Dennis, the people in your life may be upset for a bit, but they love you, and they'll get over it if it's something you truly want. And hey, I think you'd make a damned good Auror – you were in the DA since your Second Year, there's no way you wouldn't do well. As for Potions-" a little germ of an idea began coalescing in Ginny's brain as she suddenly remembered one of the last things Demelza had said to her before heading across the pond. "Extra credit with Slughorn's good, should be enough for the OWL, but if you want real practical experience, George will need extra help with production around the summer hols, to deal with the Hogwarts rush. Ron, Percy, and Angelina help out when they can… but they've got their own jobs too. I could put in a word with him – he's brilliant with potions, could really help you grasp the intuition behind the ingredients. He and F-Fred both were, had to be, to invent those Wheezes of theirs. Besides – I think talking to each other will do you both good. I think you're the likeliest person to know what he's feeling – without him having to express it, which he refuses to do. What say?"
Dennis blinked. Ginny's faith in him had touched him in a way he couldn't explain, a warmth in his chest at her easy acceptance of this sisterly role he wasn't even aware he needed from her. Working at WWW – that was an excellent suggestion, and he felt humbled that she'd thought him capable of it, and capable of helping George through a miasma of depression that no one could really understand, because she understood the nature of the beast he was fighting on an everyday basis. It was, in his opinion, the highest compliment she could've given him.
"Thanks, Ginny," he said, and Ginny smiled, pretending not to notice the hoarseness in his voice as he spoke.
X-XXX-X
A/N: This chapter was essentially an exercise in setting up Dennis's motivations and thought processes after the loss of his brother. I just could not imagine what this little fifteen-year-old boy would have gone through after losing his older brother, who would have been like a hero to him, and I imagine that he very naturally would have wanted to avenge him.
One of the last things Demelza said to Ginny is a reference to my other fic, Elsa. There may be a few Easter Eggs scattered through this fic referring to that one. I imagine that George and Dennis would have had a lot in common, and I had Demelza be the one to bring that to Ginny's attention in that fic.
By the way – Euan (Abercrombie, Gryffindor), Natalie (McDonald, Gryffindor), Kevin (Whitby, Hufflepuff), Eleanor (Branstone, Hufflepuff) and Orla (Quirke, Ravenclaw) are all characters I got either from the books or off of the Harry Potter Lexicon. I may however have fudged some of their ages. I also impulsively decided to throw in a casual friendship between Dennis and Astoria Greengrass. I didn't want to spend too much time dwelling on it, but I did want to make it clear that Dennis was the kind of kid who was somewhat well-liked and had many friends, but not really the type to have "friends like family".
If you're liking this so far, and even if you aren't – please do review! You'll make my whole week = )