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
Dark Discoveries
Chapter 9
"We're here," Tiberius said, gesturing through the window. Maya leaned forward to get her first glimpse of the house, and Tiberius was not surprised to see the excited expression on her face seem to fade a little. His home, a dark, rather foreboding house set back along a lonely lane, was not a very cheerful place at all. The curtains were pulled at the windows, the front metal gate was closed and latched securely, and cobwebs hung from every possible place. She did, however, try and be optimistic. Forcing a smile back onto her face, she climbed out of the car. Tiberius followed her example.
"It's not much," he said, ashamed. "I mean, we're not rich, you know -"
"A house does not need to be rich to be a home," Maya said, suddenly appearing all wise and knowledgeable to Tiberius like she had been during that Potions class. "Do not judge a book by its cover," she added.
"Come along," Mrs. Nott said briskly. She waved her wand and said clearly, "Locomoter trunks!"
Tiberius and Maya's trunks hovered obligingly into the air and followed Mrs. Nott into the house as she led the way. Striding into the dingy front hall, she directed the trunks up the stairs to the landing. "Molly - oh not that horrid name - I mean, Maya, you'll be sharing Tiberius's room," she said. "I'll be in the living room if you need me." She strode off and through a door at the far end of the hall.
Maya and Tiberius both hesitated, then Tiberius, feeling it his responsibility to brighten things up a little, hurried up the stairs. "Come on," he said. "I'll show you my room."
Maya nodded and came up after him. Tiberius took her to his room, hastily tidied his bed a bit, then turned to face her. Maya looked around at the messy desk, the dusty drawers, and the cobwebbed window. Tiberius suddenly felt very ashamed and embarrassed.
"It's - um - not that nice," he mumbled.
Maya's smile suddenly brightened her face. "It's fine," she said. "Only a little bit dusty, is all."
Tiberius's didn't think this was at all true, but he shrugged and said, "Anyway, do you want me to show you around, or d'you want to -"
But at that moment he was interrupted by the door opening. Brutus stood in the doorway, smirking, and in his hands was his snake, Venom. Tiberius frowned at the snake. Brutus had always threatened him with it, as it was extremely poisonous and deadly. Now he sneered at them, particularly at Maya, who looked alarmed.
"Want to meet my pet?" He said. "He's friendly."
He held out the snake towards them. Maya backed away. Tiberius glared. "Get out of here!" He said fiercely.
Brutus laughed. "Yeah, right," he said. "How about you hold Venom instead?"
Tiberius felt tempted to curse him with his wand that was in his pocket, but he resisted. What was he thinking, of course he wasn't allowed to use magic outside of school! But it was tempting. A Slytherin fifth year had told him about this Leg-Locking curse, which promptly locked the target's legs together, and he was itching to try it out on his older brother standing before him. But he had to content himself with saying angrily again, "Leave us alone!"
"Shut up, will you?" Brutus said, sneering. "Do you think I'm going to - oops a daisy." He had dropped Venom (in a very falsely accidental way) and the snake was hissing and spitting on the ground. Tiberius heard Maya gasp behind him.
"He's friendly," Brutus said, smirking.
"No he's not!" Tiberius said furiously. He pulled out his wand. Of course he didn't intend to use it, but maybe it would make Brutus go. His hopes were in vain.
"Yeah, like you're gonna use magic outside of school," Brutus said.
"I might," Tiberius said. "Unless you -"
"Go out?" Brutus said. "Fat chance. I'm not going to let my little eleven-year old brother go and -"
At that moment, downstairs the front door slammed. Brutus looked around. "Dad's back," he said. He turned back to them. "Anyway, as I was saying -"
"Brutus, come down here, your father wants you!"
Mrs. Nott's voice called up the stairs. Brutus scowled. "Not now!" He yelled back disrespectfully.
"Now, Brutus!"
Snatching up Venom, Brutus gave them a mean sneer as he left the room. Tiberius heard him going downstairs and then his father's voice.
"Brutus, there's something important I have to talk to you about."
And then his mother's, worried and desperate. "No, Theodore, please, he's only fifteen -"
"It's not like the -" his father's tone dropped, and Tiberius couldn't hear his next words. Then the living room door slammed, and he heard his mother - was she crying in the hall? He couldn't believe it, and at first he barely heard Maya speaking.
"Um - Tiberius, vas vour brother's -"
"What?" He turned.
"Vas vour brother's snake poisonous?" Maya asked.
"Yes," Tiberius said absently. He could hear his mother's quiet sobs - then he heard the kitchen door close.
"Maybe -" Maya began.
"How about you begin unpacking?" Tiberius suggested. "I'm just going to go and..." His voice faded off as he left the room and hurried downstairs, leaving Maya standing in the bedroom looking surprised and awkward. But he was too immersed in his thoughts to notice. What was going on? He reached the front hall and quietly knelt before the living room door to press his ear against the keyhole. He could hear his father's voice speaking within.
"... And if we could bring him back -"
"But - but father -" Tiberius was shocked to hear Brutus's voice so hesitant - and was it scared? He listened harder, straining his ears to hear every word.
"But father," Brutus said again. "Isn't it - im-impossible?"
"No!" Suddenly Theodore Nott's voice was fierce, angry. "Yaxley knows what he's doing! We're not giving up!"
Yaxley? The Corban Yaxley, once a faithful Death Eater of Lord Voldemort, and who was imprisoned in Azkaban? Or rather - Tiberius shuddered - who was supposed to be imprisoned in Azkaban. He pressed his ear harder against the keyhole.
"Pettigrew managed to resurrect him," his father continued darkly. "And so maybe we -"
"But father," again Brutus interrupted, still in those scared tones, "He - he was alive then, though, wasn't he? M-Maybe not human, b-but -"
"You don't understand!" Theodore Nott's voice was impatient again. "But you can help. We need as many people as we can, and we're not giving up. Is that clear? And you're helping."
"N-No father!" Now Brutus's voice was desperate as well as scared. "I'm not doing what that Malf-"
"Shut up!" Theodore Nott snapped. "You'll obey me!"
Tiberius suddenly heard footsteps thumping across the floor, he just managed to tear upstairs and up to the landing when his father stormed out of the living room. His mother burst from inside the kitchen. "Please Theodore!" She begged. "Please don't -"
"I don't care!" And there was the slam of the front door as Theodore left the house.
