That Lawn Mower
O is for Otto
Otto Bagman's cane clapped against the cobbled road and echoed loudly. His cane was almost yelling "December 2nd! December 2nd!"
Otto hunched over, snuggling into his dark black cloak angrily as if trying to block the horrible voice repeating the dreaded day; he scowled, began muttering, and shoved his way through the crowd forcing him back into the town he was trying to leave.
"Ludo – you old scumbag," Otto muttered as he slammed his cane down on the ground to show his frustration and scare the kids surrounding him away.
Otto turned down the dark road and sighed in relief as he saw it was practically empty.
"No reason for anyone to be hiding out on Ludo's estate, I suppose. Nothing left to steal considering Ludo didn't give me a cent!" Otto roared, throwing his cane down once more.
Yes. It was true. Ludo Bagman was now dead. He had lived a good life, with a large estate, many grandkids and a large happy family he could be proud of. He was even proud of his own brother – Otto – or at least that's what Otto had assumed until the reading of Ludo's will.
Otto cursed as it began snowing in the dark expanse around him. He quickened his limped pace towards the gates of Ludo's estate and fumbled to find the key that fit in the keyhole. His old hands trembled and he moaned as hail began falling onto the concrete around him – that one piece eventually landing on his head.
It bounced off his head, hit him sharply in the shoulder, and clattered to the ground as if laughing – "Hahaha! I got you!" – It was almost like Otto had Ludo tapping him on his shoulder to make an ill joke as always. Otto suppressed a half-smile and fought with the gate lock, finally forcing it open and making his way up the straight walkway towards the front doors.
"Damn weather," he said, forcing himself to focus back on the horrible piece of hail. "Damn season – DAMN CHRISTMAS!"
You got it – that was also true. Otto Bagman was as rotten as any other Scrooge. He hated Christmas, and he especially hated that he got nothing out of his own brother's will.
What was that, anyway? How was it that, he – Ludo's brother - didn't get a cent or anything of value out of Ludo's death? Otto wanted compensation. He wanted a damn good reason or gift to say sorry from Ludo because he had left him.
Otto had a horrible life. He had no estate. He had no grandkids. He had no happy family. Otto had nothing but an old broken down house that had a torn apart lawn due to that damn magical lawn mower. The yard had never grown correctly after that – there was always something off about the dirt. It was almost as if it never wanted to help grow a plant or any grass again. It was done with life, just like Otto.
Otto sighed and slowly brought his left leg up to take that one step towards the front doors. He trembled, as any other man would, but he managed just the same. After that lawn mower, Otto wasn't much for failing in a challenge.
Otto had failed challenges numerous times, though. All of them against his own brother. Ludo had always been more successful, and it struck Otto in the core. The one thing that struck Otto the most was that Ludo always had gotten the better presents for Christmas. Always.
Whenever Otto had gotten a long awaited for book, Ludo would get the newest broom. Otto sneered and scrunched up his nose. That was enough of an example – it had happened three times.
Otto shoved his weak shoulder against the door – the damn door that just refused to open – and finally cracked the frozen-shut door open. The old man stumbled, but managed to catch himself on the door handle and hold himself upright with the help of his cane.
He gave a happy sigh as he closed the door – cutting himself off from the blasted cold air – and cast lumos on the few lanterns that were left in the house. The last few things in this house were going to be shipped off to a charity. That was why Otto had stormed out of the meeting so uproariously. A charity? Damn charities! Damn them all!
Where was his happiness? Why didn't he get everything that Ludo had? That was what a brother was supposed to do with their will, right? Give at least one thing to their brother?
The lights flooded the room and Otto stared around him, taking in all the polished flooring and twinkling red and green surrounding him.
"Christmas," Otto scoffed.
He sighed and clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, wondering as to which room he should go to first. He was going to raid this house and run – probably not very fast – but he would run and the Bagman's would just have to take it! They could survive without giving something to charity for once in their life. He was tired of giving, giving, giving – he wanted to take something!
With this determination in mind, Otto began to take the longest route – up the stairs – and go to the one place that Ludo probably would've kept anything important.
Otto made it to the top of the stairs easily enough. They had been magically charmed for old Ludo so it would be easier for him to make it up by making the surface rough.
Not to mention they had one of the Muggles from the small town a few streets away install some carpet.
Otto shuffled down the hallway, spluttering and waving his hands around his head to try and force away the pieces of confetti and sparkling berries from falling on his head. It was one of Ludo's old Christmas traps. He would say, "It's to keep the festivities alive!"
All Otto had to say to this was two words: screw that.
Ludo would always have something to throw back, though. A bucketful of tinsel in the face and a "Gotcha!" It was Ludo's way of changing the subject.
Once Otto was in Ludo's office, he rummaged around; he opened and closed doors. He lifted pictures and moved them. Otto was all over the place, trying to find something of value and tearing the room apart. When Otto finally found himself at a point where he felt he would start crying, he saw a door. It was normal, if anything else. It was a plain old wood and was just like any door he could find in the town down the street, but it definitely wasn't a door you would find in Ludo's estate.
Therefore, Otto opened it. The door wasn't locked, it wasn't stuck – completely trick free.
Well, it wasn't trick free. Some shooting stars fell from above him when he opened the door, but that's beside the point – the point of this story is that there was a brand new, gleaming Muggle lawn mower sitting right in front of him.
Otto moved closer to it in surprise and looked around the room. Coats hung on racks around him and shelves were creaking over his head menacingly in the small, cramped space. What, in Merlin's name, could a bright red Muggle lawn mower be doing in Ludo's closet?
He picked up a small note card hanging from the side of the Muggle artifact, raising his old disappearing eyebrows, and read the one word on the card. "Gotcha."
Then, a bucket filled with tinsel fell over his eyes, causing Otto to laugh aloud.
A/N: So, it wasn't as great as I want it to be – really. HOWEVER, I do feel like I'm laughing right along with Otto. It was a good change to take on a character that was only mentioned in passing once. By the way, if you don't remember, the Muggle lawn mower thing was a problem that Mr. Weasley helped fixed – which is why the family got the tickets to the Quidditch World Cup.
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