The Father and the Son
written by Lizzie Scamander
Tiberius Nott's first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has arrived. As the son of the Death Eater Theodore Nott, it will be hard for him to settle in. But maybe he will be able to help others ignore his past and find out, eventually, that the son is not the same as the father. IN PROGRESS
Last Updated
05/31/21
Chapters
14
Reads
855
Two Sons, One Father
Chapter 14
Tiberius felt pleasantly comfortable. He was lying in warm sheets and on soft pillows. He opened his eyes. His vision swam into focus. He could see an anxious face watching him, which broke into a broad grin as she saw he was awake.
"Tiberius!" Tamsin lunged forward and hugged him. He would have preferred it if she didn't - his head ached dully and he felt a bit stiff, but it was nice of her all the same. He smiled weakly as she released him.
"What happened?" He asked.
"Oh, Tiberius, the Death Eaters are back in Azkaban!" She said happily. "They didn't get Albus Potter - they wasted too much time, and, well, I stopped Yaxley from getting him -" her cheeks flushed pink with pride - "and by that time the Ministry Aurors had arrived. Everything turned out wonderfully, but it's all thanks to you and Maya really for warning Albus. If Yaxley had got into the Slytherin common room then he could have got Albus easily."
"You saved us," Tiberius said. "You disarmed Yaxley - he would have got Albus if you hadn't turned up. And killed Maya and I, I guess," he added. "But speaking of Maya, where is she?"
"Oh, just over there," Tamsin said, pointing. Maya was asleep in a bed nearby, looking quite comfortable and at ease. "Madam Pomfrey lifted the Stunning Spell immediately, of course, but she said maybe she should stay up here and rest for a while. She said we should delay her and your seeing other students for as long as possible."
"Why?" Tiberius asked curiously.
"Because of what you did, obviously!" Tamsin said, beaming. "I mean, it's like with me - everyone's following me about and wanting to be my friend because I helped you and stuff - they think it's amazing! Imagine what it will be like with you!"
"But," Tiberius said, feeling quite alarmed, "I didn't do anything much -"
"Of course you did!" Tamsin said. "Everyone's talking about it! You'll see, when you come out of here."
And she was quite right. The next day when Tiberius and Maya left the hospital wing they were confronted with crowds of people asking questions, offering them sweets, wanting to sit with them, asking for friendship - Tiberius was quite overwhelmed.
Maya was a bit more calm - she's probably used to this sort of stuff because her dad's famous, Tiberius thought, but sometimes she did still looked a bit surprised.
It was a sunny afternoon and Tiberius, Maya, and Tamsin were sitting in the grounds by the lake. Maya and Tamsin were deep in conversation, but Tiberius was just sitting there watching the gentle ripples of the water in the breeze. He had seen his mother yesterday - she had never been so happy to see him, but sorrowful also, for - Tiberius bit his lip - his father had been put in Azkaban. He didn't really know how he felt about it - he had never been that close to his father for how he was, so harsh and unaffectionate, but he knew how horrible Azkaban was.
He was deeply immersed in these thoughts when suddenly someone sat down beside him. It was Brutus.
Maya and Tamsin looked up, then, after a slight pause, continued talking. Tiberius felt at a loss of what to say. It was Brutus who spoke first.
"I'm sorry."
Tiberius looked at him. Brutus was extremely different. His usual confident air was broken, replaced by a quiet, hesitant attitude. Tiberius didn't know what to say.
"It's - it's okay," he said finally.
"No, it isn't," Brutus said. "I've been so horrible to you, and - and I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have been like that - it was bad."
Tiberius made an attempt at a laugh. "Come off it, Brutus," he said. "This isn't you!"
Brutus grinned weakly. "Yeah, I guess," he said. "But honestly Tiberius -" he looked straight into his brother's eyes - "I shouldn't have been like that. And I'm going to try and make up for what I've been like over the past years by being better. I just hope I can."
Tiberius grinned. "I think you can," he said. "But Brutus -"
"I was like that because of what father was like," Brutus said suddenly. "I felt like - like I had to be like him. And - and -" he sighed. "I've lived up to that, haven't I?"
Tiberius paused. Brutus looked at him, waiting. The silence stretched on. And then Tiberius broke it.
"Remember, Brutus," he said. "The father is not the same as the son."
And he was right.
