Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine and so are some of the quotes that I took directly from the book.
Thanks for all the review guys smiles broadly, I'm glad you liked the fighting scenes and I'm sorry Otus is gone, but it just seemed kinda surreal if he stayed alive, and also because Dean will treasure Otus more if he was kept in the past. So now I present you with the 2nd last chapter of my fic, happy readings!
Chapter 17 – Just like your father
He was sitting on the grass outside the Entrance Hall when he heard people approaching him from behind. Seamus sat down, putting his arm around Dean and Luna sat on the other side, patting the grass at her feet. For a while no one talked, though Dean knew Seamus was full of questions, however the only one he asked was, "You ok?" Dean nodded, he opened his mouth to say yes, but instead he told them the truth, that the man who had just saved his life was Otus.
Dean made sure to answer all their unspoken questions, before he got up.
"I'm going back into the Hall," he said to Luna and Seamus. Both of them stood up immediately to follow Dean, but came face to face with the woman who had been mourning beside Otus' body.
Dean stood, not knowing what to say, before Seamus beckoned to Luna and the two made their way to the Hall. "We'll meet you there," said Seamus.
"I'm sorry," she said, "I was listening to you speak."
Dean said nothing, instead he sat back down on the grass and woman followed suit. She appeared much younger than Otus, and looked like she was a bit older than Bill. Her eyes were dry but swollen and she smiled at Dean when she finally sat down.
"So, we finally meet, Dean Thomas," she said, her golden eyes looking, unblinking at Dean.
Dean was about to ask who she was, but she got there first.
"I'm Oleta Birman," she began, her eyes turning to the grounds and she looked towards the skies as if she was speaking of a distant memory, "Otus was my brother, he was nine years older than me."
"He had a younger sister?" Dean whispered, more to himself.
"Yes, although not many people knew about it. Because of our age gap, we attended Hogwarts at different times. When Theodore died, Otus could hardly come to me for sibling support. I had just begun schooling at Hogwarts and was just beginning to learn about the Wizarding World. Otus didn't dare tell me about Death Eaters and You-Know-Who."
"Wait, you were muggle-borns?" asked Dean.
"Yes," she said again, "If you have any questions, Dean, Otus did tell me to come tonight in case he – and to tell you –" She said, struggling with the words.
"Yeah," said Dean, "Can you – Can you tell me everything you know?" He finished rather hungrily.
It was a long time before Oleta began speaking.
"According to what I learnt from Otus, your father was the child of Fiona Carrophs and a muggle called Dean Smith. Fiona Carrophs was presumably murdered by Death Eaters, the Carrophs family have been involved with such deaths before, I suppose they threatened the rule of You-Know-Who. Your grandfather maintained that Fiona was murdered by wizards, though he quickly had his memory wiped by the ministry and Theo was brought up believing he was a muggle-born."
"When Theo arrived at Hogwarts, he was a very curious boy. He wanted to know what made a person magical, he wanted to know why he was a wizard while no one else in his family, that he knew of, had ever been given magic. It almost became an obsessive interest, but his drive to learn all he could about magic also made him one of the brightest wizards in his year level."
She took a deep breath, then continued, "I don't know how Otus and Theo managed to be such close friends. Otus was the out-door type, he captained the Ravenclaw quidditch team, but I suppose opposites attract. Whenever Theo wasn't reading, or Otus wasn't flying his broom, they could be seen together, mucking around. They were both eager to graduate. Otus wasn't your studying type and Theo had probably learnt everything already. Once they left Hogwarts, Theo immediately got a job at the Department of Mysteries and Otus began working at the Department of Magical Games and Sports."
"They loved their job, but it was a dangerous time. You-Know-Who was on the rise and there were Death Eaters working in the Ministry as well as people who were Imperiused. He was also trying to recruit more people, and wasn't forgiving when they turned him down. Then your father met Elena."
She cocked her head to one side and smiled, "Theo loved Elena more than anything and wanted to protect her from those dark and difficult times. He'd even considered quitting his job, but instead he married Elena under a different identity so no one could track his family down. He was always so cautious and a year after their marriage, you were born. We never saw you, we didn't even know Theo's muggle identity, that's how much he wanted to protect you," here she smiled at Dean.
"But then You-Know-Who tried to recruit Theo, he was after all moving up quite quickly in the Department ranks and Rookwood admired some of his personal qualities. He fought them, and survived, but he went into hiding after that. No one knew where he was except for Otus. Three nights after You-Know-Who attacked the Potters, his remaining followers found Otus and force-fed him Veritaserum until he told them the whereabouts of Theo. Otus didn't tell me what, but apparently Theo had some sort of information that You-Know-Who wanted. Theo didn't tell them of course, and they killed him instead."
"Otus always blamed himself," she continued, after deliberating for a moment, "He was distraught beyond belief and worked with new relish, like it could wipe away the other thoughts he had. He worked until I graduated from Hogwarts and got a job, then he quit his job and decided to spend all his time to look for you, Dean. I tried to help, but he wanted to do it all alone."
"But you did help," Dean realised suddenly, "You were the woman who fought off that ministry official!"
She nodded, "It took us a while to find you Dean, but we finally did. Otus tried to find out everything about you."
"Oh," said Dean, "I – I feel so bad, if it wasn't because of me –"
"Don't be like that," she cut in, "I think he's quite happy that he's finally found you and proud that he saved you tonight."
"But you must feel horrible," interjected Dean.
"As long as Otus is happy, and I think he's happier than he's ever been-"
"-because he found me?"
"You have no idea how much he wanted to see you, you look just like your father Dean."
"Thanks for telling me everything," said Dean after a while.
"Don't say that," she replied, "There's one more thing I need to tell you."
"Yeah?"
"Your dad left you something."
"Left me what?"
"Otus didn't tell me, he said you'd know." Oleta stood up, ready to return into the Hall.
"Wait," said Dean.
She stopped and turned around, "Yes?"
"How did Otus learn to be an animagus?"
"He was born one," she replied, "We didn't know what was going on when he was young and he never regis–"
Before she could go on, however, the magnified voice of Voldemort surrounded them.
"Harry Potter is dead. He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself while you laid down your lives for him. We bring you his body as proof that your hero is gone."
Oleta froze, and Dean could just imagine the atmosphere in the Hall as these words crashed down on them.
"The battle is won. You have lost half of your fighters. My Death Eaters outnumber you and the Boy Who Lived is finished. There must be no more war. Anyone who continues to resist, man, woman or child, will be slaughtered, as will every member of their family. Come out of the castle, now, kneel before me, and you shall be spared. Your parents and children, your brothers and sisters will live, and be forgiven, and you will join me in the new world we shall build together."
At once people began screaming and sobbing and bursting through the front gates of the Hall. Neville looked furious and Mr and Mrs Weasley looked murderous.
A progression of Death Eaters was marching towards them, followed by two giants. Their footsteps shook the ground beneath them. When they reached the group of fighters which Oleta and Dean had joined in, they stopped and spread themselves in a line to face the people who were coming out of the Hall.
And there was Harry, lying still and lifeless in Hagrid's arms.
"NO!" screamed Professor McGonagall in such a strained voice that Dean had never imagined she could have. At once one of the Death Eaters, the madwoman Dean had seen at the Malfoy's filled the air with her high-pitched cackle.
"NO! HARRY! HARRY!" yells and screams from either side deafened Dean's ears. He tightened his grip on his wand. Harry couldn't be dead, he was much too strong it seemed, and Voldemort couldn't be alive. After all those people killed and the ones who were lying in the Great Hall, their spirits already departed, in the books it was always the good guys who won. What now? Dean felt like aiming a killing curse at Voldemort, the guy made it look easy, how he had almost spent his entire life killing.
Dean was standing near the back of the crowd he didn't hear the scuffling or the yell, or the grunt of pain, but there was a flash of bright light, temporarily blinding him, something flew from the top of the castle to Voldemort and before Dean knew it, Neville Longbottom's head was hidden beneath the Sorting Hat which immediately burst to flames.
"NO!" cried Dean, just as a million others yelled the same thing and drew their wand. Dean was making his way to the front, thinking of which spell to use when he was attacked from behind. Someone had jumped onto his back and forced him to fall flat onto the ground, head first, his wand hurled out of his hands as the attacker pressed his face onto the grass.
"Dean, NO!" came the muffled voices of Seamus and Parvati.
Dean's head was yanked back, pulled by the hair and was forced to stare into the bloodthirsty eyes of Greyback.
"Got you," he snarled.