Fic: A Different Sort [G] Gen
Title: A Different Sort
Rating: G
Summary: Even after his brother’s death, Aberforth’s bitterness remains.
Author's notes: This was an interesting character study and it was almost a relief not to include a pairing. I tend to gloss over the Dumbledores in other fics I’ve written, and it was satisfying to give Abe more than just a walk on. Thanks to bambu345 who took time out of her busy schedule to look at this for me. Written for fullmoon_dreams prompt at the tnl_first_time fest.
A Different Sort
Aberforth Dumbledore watched the tunnel to the school fade as the image of his sister returned to the forefront of her picture frame. He wasn’t certain why he had agreed to help the Longbottom boy... perhaps it was the awkwardness he had remembered seeing in the boy as Neville had stood in his bar glancing around like a frightened rabbit two years ago. On the few, uncomfortable visits Abe had shared with his brother over the past decade, he had heard the odd comment about the son of Alice and Frank. Young Neville clearly wasn’t living up to the reputation of his parents, at least according to the brief mentions and disappointed tone.
It hurt him to hear that tone in his brother’s voice, even though it had been more than a century since that particular tone had been directed at him. The boy was certain to have plenty of worthy attributes, but none of them seemed to be ones the people around him cared about. Abe supposed he had been much like Neville in that regard, the only difference being that he was never at all concerned about other’s opinions. Still, the young man had risen to lead his own crusade of rebellion, and now was faltering as the situation spiralled beyond his control. Abe just didn’t have it in him to refuse when the boy had arrived to ask for aid out of the picture frame of his beloved sister. She had, after all, always been his weak spot...
***
The boat ride across the lake to the castle had been impressive, he supposed, but Hogwarts didn’t look like the sort of place he would feel comfortable in. Albus had already spent three years conquering the castle and its inhabitants and Abe had heard plenty of stories about the dignity and refinement of everything contained within. He, however, didn’t particularly care about historical ostentatiousness, social refinement and academic recognition. Albus remembered more of life before his father’s incarceration and missed the ‘finer things’ that he did not. He was content with the simple life they led and would much rather be at home with his mother and sister. Arianna would be so lonely without him, and Mother didn’t always know how to deal with her moods. It wasn’t like he couldn’t learn all the spells he needed at home. Before his father’s incarceration, his mother had been a capable witch and even now was competent to teach him all the practical magic he might find cause to use. But Albus had been appalled by the very notion of an uneducated brother in case any of the great minds he was in contact with came to call. With a few well placed comments to his mother and a particularly devious conversation with his sister, the very idea that he would stay home this year had been destroyed. His mother had insisted he get an education so that he could have opportunities and his sister had begged him not to let her stand in his way.
Arianna had been a bone of contention between the two since Albus had started school and had gotten it into his head that he would somehow teach her to use her magic and miraculously cure her. The first summer home, it had been cruel what Albus had put her through. She had cried constantly for days and had more explosions in a week than she had experienced in the whole of the years since her attack. Though they had always been vastly different in personality, Abe had never seen his brother be unnecessarily cruel or unsympathetic, but he caught his first glimpse of it two summers ago. Hogwarts had changed Albus, and it wasn’t for the better in his opinion.
Last night, he had received a considerable lecture on how to act, who was best to associate with, which professors to cultivate friendships with... the list went on. Of the Sorting Ceremony, he was told nothing, other than that it was an old and respected tradition that carried out a necessary task. His brother had also run with the assumption that they would be in the same house, but Abe certainly hoped not. Albus was a bit more than he wanted to deal with at home, away from his friends and notoriety. He had a notion that here it would be much worse.
The doors to the Great Hall opened and the long line of first years he was standing in began to follow the old, grizzled wizard as he limped slightly towards the front of the room. Waiting on the steps up to the head table was an old, tattered and patched hat sitting on an ornately carved stool. Being near the front of the line, Aberforth had a clear view of Deputy Headmaster Wythiwyck dramatically unrolling a fancy scroll and calling the first student forward. It was all he could do not to burst out into hysterical laughter as the ratty old had was reverently placed on Myrtle Atkinson’s head, only to slip down her face. Within a few moments, the rip near the brim called out, “Ravenclaw!” and dignified clapping followed.
This was the secret, venerable ritual?
It was laughable.
Two more students took their turn on the stool ahead of him, before his own name was called. Although he did like aggravating his brother, the imperious stares from the staff table stayed any glib remark he had been considering as he sauntered forward and plopped himself heavily down on the stool. Professor Wythiwyck gave him a disapproving look as the hat was lowered onto his head, covering his face completely.
“Dignified ceremony, Merlin’s arse. Wizards just don’t have the balls to break with tradition, is all,” he muttered.
True, but it is in ceremony that we seek to find meaning.
Abe jerked slightly at the voice that surrounded him inside the hat. Somewhat surprised to have received a response, he returned, “No, family gives life meaning, you don’t need to go looking for it. Ceremonies only serve to make us feel more important that we are.”
The hat chuckled in his ear. I’m certain your family does. It also reassures me that you will do well in your new house.
“And will Albus be suitably disappointed that it’s not with him?”
Your brother was rather open to all houses, I recall. I’m certain he won’t find objection to your placement in “HUFFLEPUFF!”
As the hat started to lift from his head, Abe whispered, “You’re wrong. He’s changed.”
Standing from the stool, Aberforth turned towards the Hufflepuff table, catching a brief look at Albus’ vaguely sour, disappointed expression. He smirked slightly and walked purposely towards his new house without a second glance.
***
Due to their different classes and houses, Abe managed to avoid his brother for nearly a month, before being cornered near the staircase down to the Hufflepuff common room and dragged into an empty classroom.
Abe sighed and shook his head. “What is it, Albus?”
His older brother’s brow furrowed. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Divination isn’t a class until third year. I haven’t a clue what you’re talking about.”
“Professor Dippit told me in Charms that you’ve lost points four times for hexing students in the hallway and served two detentions already!”
“And? It’s not your job to be Mother here. If she’s angry about it, she can send me a Howler.”
“What about your homework? All the professors are telling me that you’ve missed assignments, and it’s not even October yet! The papers you do hand in aren’t even close to the required length, and barely legible, let alone topical. You can’t get by doing nothing here, Aberforth. Hogwarts is serious.”
“Again, you aren’t Mother and the professors have no business discussing my schoolwork with you. I’ll get by however I choose, Albus.”
“How can you not care about this?”
“Why should you? Casting a poor light on you, brother? I would think it would make you look all the more brilliant and outstanding for the comparison.”
“I’m disappointed in you, Abe.”
“Likewise. Just remember, it was you who wanted me here. Mother was prepared to go along with my idea of her tutoring me from home, while I helped take care of Arianna.”
“Don’t bring her into this!”
Aberforth shook his head at his brother, turning to walk out of the room. “You could have just left us both in peace. We were content with things the way they were. It never bothered me that you were ashamed of your family, but tearing apart what worked.... It was a mistake, Albus. We both know it was a mistake.”
***
Mother and Arianna had died because of Albus’ mistake, because of pride. He was as certain of it today as he had ever been, though it no longer carried the painful sting. It had taken him nearly seventy years to even tolerate being in the same room as his brother and even near the end, it had never been comfortable between them. Albus had always been trying to prove himself to others, something which Abe had never felt the need to do, but then, Albus had something to prove. The spectre of Arianna was always there, though they never talked openly about her. Yet each time Albus mentioned some wise or caring act, Abe heard, ‘Will she forgive me now? Have I changed enough?’
He wished sometimes he could have answered those unspoken questions that forever weighed on his brother, but then he was hardly in a position to pass judgement. He had once felt loyalty to family was a priority above all, and yet he had spent a century allowing what remained of his to fall apart. In his youth, Aberforth had been certain he was the better person with the moral compass. In truth he had been and was still no less prideful, no less flawed.
A shiver ran down his spine, and Abe glanced out the window into the gloomy streets of Hogsmeade. Dementors and Death Eaters were beginning their nightly patrols, harassing the locals and searching for ‘traitors.’ Freedom was well and truly lost this time, and he had no strength left in him to fight.
Like his brother, he too had changed.
Rating: G
Summary: Even after his brother’s death, Aberforth’s bitterness remains.
Author's notes: This was an interesting character study and it was almost a relief not to include a pairing. I tend to gloss over the Dumbledores in other fics I’ve written, and it was satisfying to give Abe more than just a walk on. Thanks to bambu345 who took time out of her busy schedule to look at this for me. Written for fullmoon_dreams prompt at the tnl_first_time fest.
A Different Sort
Aberforth Dumbledore watched the tunnel to the school fade as the image of his sister returned to the forefront of her picture frame. He wasn’t certain why he had agreed to help the Longbottom boy... perhaps it was the awkwardness he had remembered seeing in the boy as Neville had stood in his bar glancing around like a frightened rabbit two years ago. On the few, uncomfortable visits Abe had shared with his brother over the past decade, he had heard the odd comment about the son of Alice and Frank. Young Neville clearly wasn’t living up to the reputation of his parents, at least according to the brief mentions and disappointed tone.
It hurt him to hear that tone in his brother’s voice, even though it had been more than a century since that particular tone had been directed at him. The boy was certain to have plenty of worthy attributes, but none of them seemed to be ones the people around him cared about. Abe supposed he had been much like Neville in that regard, the only difference being that he was never at all concerned about other’s opinions. Still, the young man had risen to lead his own crusade of rebellion, and now was faltering as the situation spiralled beyond his control. Abe just didn’t have it in him to refuse when the boy had arrived to ask for aid out of the picture frame of his beloved sister. She had, after all, always been his weak spot...
***
The boat ride across the lake to the castle had been impressive, he supposed, but Hogwarts didn’t look like the sort of place he would feel comfortable in. Albus had already spent three years conquering the castle and its inhabitants and Abe had heard plenty of stories about the dignity and refinement of everything contained within. He, however, didn’t particularly care about historical ostentatiousness, social refinement and academic recognition. Albus remembered more of life before his father’s incarceration and missed the ‘finer things’ that he did not. He was content with the simple life they led and would much rather be at home with his mother and sister. Arianna would be so lonely without him, and Mother didn’t always know how to deal with her moods. It wasn’t like he couldn’t learn all the spells he needed at home. Before his father’s incarceration, his mother had been a capable witch and even now was competent to teach him all the practical magic he might find cause to use. But Albus had been appalled by the very notion of an uneducated brother in case any of the great minds he was in contact with came to call. With a few well placed comments to his mother and a particularly devious conversation with his sister, the very idea that he would stay home this year had been destroyed. His mother had insisted he get an education so that he could have opportunities and his sister had begged him not to let her stand in his way.
Arianna had been a bone of contention between the two since Albus had started school and had gotten it into his head that he would somehow teach her to use her magic and miraculously cure her. The first summer home, it had been cruel what Albus had put her through. She had cried constantly for days and had more explosions in a week than she had experienced in the whole of the years since her attack. Though they had always been vastly different in personality, Abe had never seen his brother be unnecessarily cruel or unsympathetic, but he caught his first glimpse of it two summers ago. Hogwarts had changed Albus, and it wasn’t for the better in his opinion.
Last night, he had received a considerable lecture on how to act, who was best to associate with, which professors to cultivate friendships with... the list went on. Of the Sorting Ceremony, he was told nothing, other than that it was an old and respected tradition that carried out a necessary task. His brother had also run with the assumption that they would be in the same house, but Abe certainly hoped not. Albus was a bit more than he wanted to deal with at home, away from his friends and notoriety. He had a notion that here it would be much worse.
The doors to the Great Hall opened and the long line of first years he was standing in began to follow the old, grizzled wizard as he limped slightly towards the front of the room. Waiting on the steps up to the head table was an old, tattered and patched hat sitting on an ornately carved stool. Being near the front of the line, Aberforth had a clear view of Deputy Headmaster Wythiwyck dramatically unrolling a fancy scroll and calling the first student forward. It was all he could do not to burst out into hysterical laughter as the ratty old had was reverently placed on Myrtle Atkinson’s head, only to slip down her face. Within a few moments, the rip near the brim called out, “Ravenclaw!” and dignified clapping followed.
This was the secret, venerable ritual?
It was laughable.
Two more students took their turn on the stool ahead of him, before his own name was called. Although he did like aggravating his brother, the imperious stares from the staff table stayed any glib remark he had been considering as he sauntered forward and plopped himself heavily down on the stool. Professor Wythiwyck gave him a disapproving look as the hat was lowered onto his head, covering his face completely.
“Dignified ceremony, Merlin’s arse. Wizards just don’t have the balls to break with tradition, is all,” he muttered.
True, but it is in ceremony that we seek to find meaning.
Abe jerked slightly at the voice that surrounded him inside the hat. Somewhat surprised to have received a response, he returned, “No, family gives life meaning, you don’t need to go looking for it. Ceremonies only serve to make us feel more important that we are.”
The hat chuckled in his ear. I’m certain your family does. It also reassures me that you will do well in your new house.
“And will Albus be suitably disappointed that it’s not with him?”
Your brother was rather open to all houses, I recall. I’m certain he won’t find objection to your placement in “HUFFLEPUFF!”
As the hat started to lift from his head, Abe whispered, “You’re wrong. He’s changed.”
Standing from the stool, Aberforth turned towards the Hufflepuff table, catching a brief look at Albus’ vaguely sour, disappointed expression. He smirked slightly and walked purposely towards his new house without a second glance.
***
Due to their different classes and houses, Abe managed to avoid his brother for nearly a month, before being cornered near the staircase down to the Hufflepuff common room and dragged into an empty classroom.
Abe sighed and shook his head. “What is it, Albus?”
His older brother’s brow furrowed. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Divination isn’t a class until third year. I haven’t a clue what you’re talking about.”
“Professor Dippit told me in Charms that you’ve lost points four times for hexing students in the hallway and served two detentions already!”
“And? It’s not your job to be Mother here. If she’s angry about it, she can send me a Howler.”
“What about your homework? All the professors are telling me that you’ve missed assignments, and it’s not even October yet! The papers you do hand in aren’t even close to the required length, and barely legible, let alone topical. You can’t get by doing nothing here, Aberforth. Hogwarts is serious.”
“Again, you aren’t Mother and the professors have no business discussing my schoolwork with you. I’ll get by however I choose, Albus.”
“How can you not care about this?”
“Why should you? Casting a poor light on you, brother? I would think it would make you look all the more brilliant and outstanding for the comparison.”
“I’m disappointed in you, Abe.”
“Likewise. Just remember, it was you who wanted me here. Mother was prepared to go along with my idea of her tutoring me from home, while I helped take care of Arianna.”
“Don’t bring her into this!”
Aberforth shook his head at his brother, turning to walk out of the room. “You could have just left us both in peace. We were content with things the way they were. It never bothered me that you were ashamed of your family, but tearing apart what worked.... It was a mistake, Albus. We both know it was a mistake.”
***
Mother and Arianna had died because of Albus’ mistake, because of pride. He was as certain of it today as he had ever been, though it no longer carried the painful sting. It had taken him nearly seventy years to even tolerate being in the same room as his brother and even near the end, it had never been comfortable between them. Albus had always been trying to prove himself to others, something which Abe had never felt the need to do, but then, Albus had something to prove. The spectre of Arianna was always there, though they never talked openly about her. Yet each time Albus mentioned some wise or caring act, Abe heard, ‘Will she forgive me now? Have I changed enough?’
He wished sometimes he could have answered those unspoken questions that forever weighed on his brother, but then he was hardly in a position to pass judgement. He had once felt loyalty to family was a priority above all, and yet he had spent a century allowing what remained of his to fall apart. In his youth, Aberforth had been certain he was the better person with the moral compass. In truth he had been and was still no less prideful, no less flawed.
A shiver ran down his spine, and Abe glanced out the window into the gloomy streets of Hogsmeade. Dementors and Death Eaters were beginning their nightly patrols, harassing the locals and searching for ‘traitors.’ Freedom was well and truly lost this time, and he had no strength left in him to fight.
Like his brother, he too had changed.