The Black Sheep ~ A Harry Potter Fanfiction

[Chellendora]

Title: The Black Sheep

Rating: 17+

Warnings: If you read the Harry Potter series with permission, then you won't see anything different here. Death, angst, violence, some language.

Summary: Ethan Gage is a sixth year, beater reserve, horrible-at-potions young wizard whose life turns upside down when he joins Dumbledore’s Army; the surprise of his life occurring in his own family.

Chapters:
Chapter One: Squib or Muggle?
Chapter Two: Bright Scarves and Pink Lipstick
Chapter Three: Bludgers and Black Eyes

[Chellendora]

The Black Sheep

Chapter 1: Squib or Muggle?

The rain came down in sheets, covering the old mini-van and road effortlessly. The squeaking, creaking windshield wipers had barely cleared the window before the view was blocked again. Mr. Robert Gage was bent forward over the steering wheel, squinting as if it would help him to see the road better. In the passenger seat, his wife, Evelyn, was gripping the handle on the door.

“Honey…maybe we should pull over somewhere.” Her chocolate brown eyes were wide and her long, straight black hair frazzled. She looked pale, though she normally had a very healthy, lightly tanned complexion.

“Nonsense, I’ve driven in worse than this!” Robert was the cover image of the word “nerd.” He had freckles, thick glasses, and thin balding blond hair. His eyes, however, were bright and vibrant blue, reflecting all the life and spirit he had.

“That would have to be a hurricane, dad,” said Ethan from the back seat, a tanned boy with dark hair like his mother’s, though his black eyes were unlike his father’s or mother’s. He was nestled uncomfortably between his two little sisters—he tried to emphasize that they were younger by SIX YEARS when they insisted he sit in the middle on the way home.

“I’m from New Orleans, son, we grow up knowin’ this stuff!” he exclaimed proudly, but Evelyn looked far from convinced. In fact, she looked even more terrified!

To Ethan’s left Lethia, a pale skinned, pale haired little beauty looked up from her sketchbook, the brown eyes that matched her mother’s trying to gaze through the window as rain drops raced along it. She could only make out the blurred colors and lights of passing cars and buildings.

Ethan took this chance to peer over at the sketchpad. She was doodling some of the things they had seen today. It was Lethia and Jessica’s tenth birthday and the fraternal twins had decided on the zoo in London. Unfortunately, the storm had rolled in hours earlier than their father’s ultimate country weather senses had predicted.

It wasn’t long before Lethia noticed her brother’s prying eyes. “E’tan!” she exclaimed, pressing the sketchbook to her chest and hugging it tightly. She had used the nickname she always used for him. When she was first learning to talk, she had been unable to say “Ethan” and instead called him “E’tan.” She had just never corrected herself, not that he minded.

Ethan smiled. “What? I can’t look?”

“You know you can only look when the piece is finished!” she scolded, holding up one finger as a reproving mother would.

“But that means that I’ll never get to see your sketches, Lethy,” Ethan fake pouted. He knew he would get to see them anyway.

Lethia sat up straight, sticking her nose up in the air to feign a haughty manner. “Then, brother, you will just have to live with it.”

“Oh lord, stop it,” Jessica groaned from Ethan’s right. She had her face leaned against the cool glass of the window, her arms lying uselessly in her lap. “You two remind me of Full House and it’s sickening.” Jessica was the spitting image of Lethia, but her skin was much tanner. Jessica spent more time outside than her twin did.

“I think it’s sweet, Jessie,” Evelyn said, taking any chance to distract herself from her husband’s driving. Still, she was looking pale with fright. Everyone’s bottoms came off their seats as their dad drifted onto the side of the road and jerked back, hitting a pothole rather hard.

“Sorry!”

“Don’t bother, mom. Jess is going through her Darlene stage,” Ethan explained.

“Huh?” Jessica asked, emphasizing the caveman question with the size of her mouth, letting her bottom lip hang to the side.

Evelyn blinked and turned to look at Ethan. “Dar…lene…stage?”

“Oh! I know!” Robert exclaimed happily, clapping his hands against the top of the steering wheel. Each time his palms hit the leather their mother hopped with fear, the rest of the color draining from her face until her skin should have been transparent. “Roseanne!”

Lethia giggled and Jessica rolled her eyes, going back to staring listlessly out the window.

Evelyn sighed, visibly relaxing in her chair. This car ride seemed to be taking more out of her than giving birth to three children had. “This family watches too much of the tele.”

“I agree.” Jessica sat up straight, the cheek that had been pressed against the window pale with cold. “Most of us in this car are magic folk, why do we use so much muggle stuff?”

Ethan rolled his eyes. “Do you know who built the zoo? Muggles. You enjoyed that, didn’t you?”

Jessica inhaled sharply, setting her shoulders. “That’s different!”

“Oh please you two…don’t start that now…” Evelyn begged, slumping further into her chair. This forty-five minute ride back to Knightsbridge was going to be the death of her. For the rest of the excruciating ride Ethan and Jess argued back and forth about this and that, whether Coke was better than Pepsi, and whether the rumored new Nintendo game system would be able to trump the classic Super Nintendo.

Evelyn was the first one out of the car when they pulled into the driveway of their simple, two-story suburban home, Robert following muttering about how his driving was safer than hers and about the hurricane of ’85. Lethia and Jessica made a show of running and screaming through the rain all two yards to the steps leading up to the little porch. Ethan walked casually, letting himself get soaked. He needed a shower anyway. Katie, his girlfriend of almost two years, used to tell him she loved it when it rained because he finally was cleaned off. He didn’t think he was that dirty…He was sixteen! It was a rite of passage.

He hung up his coat with the rest of the family’s and plopped down on his usual spot on the couch, still in his wet clothes. He kicked on his Super Nintendo and slumped into his “I plan to play this game for hours” position, one elbow on the armrest and the rest of his body sprawled out until he was almost in the floor.

“Don’t get too comfortable, Ethan, dinner will be done soon,” Evelyn said as she pulled out her wand. With a few flicks, she set the appliances and utensils in the kitchen working to make homemade spaghetti and meatballs. The mail lying on the table also came to her hand. She looked at the cover of the Daily Prophet before passing it to an eagerly awaiting Lethia, then she began to sort through the assortment of muggle bills and owl delivered letters.

“You have your supplies list from Hogwarts, dear,” she said, tossing the letter so that it landed on his lap. Ethan just grunted in response and left the letter lying in his lap.

Lethia dropped down on the couch next to him, clutching the Daily Prophet eagerly. The picture on the back was of a couple newly married with newts jumping from the bride’s bun as she ran from the church. “E’tan, will you take me with you to Diagon Alley this year?”

Evelyn turned around in the archway connecting the living room and kitchen, glancing from Ethan to Robert who had stopped reading the muggle paper.

Ethan felt all eyes on him and swallowed, unsure of what to say. “I don’t know Lethy…If you’re not careful you can get lost or hurt really easily there.” He spoke slowly, choosing his words carefully. His heartbeat had quickened and he would have felt more comfortable taking a potions exam at that moment.

Lethia’s expression fell as she realized that her chances to go where slimming down drastically from her previous hopes. “But you can protect me!”

“Sweetie, Ethan should only be worried about getting the right supplies, and he’ll be running into his friends…” Robert said in a tone that was placating, but not condescending.

“I’m ten years old now! I can handle myself!” Lethia’s lower lip quivered. “Why is that I never get to do any of the wizarding stuff?”

“Because you may be a Squib,” Ethan thought sadly. She had never said it outright, but he was pretty sure that his mother would be ashamed to have a Squib in the family. However, she isn’t ashamed of muggles (or she wouldn’t have married the mugglest of them all, Robert the account) so she treats Lethia like a muggle. Keeping it fair between her and Jessica, who has shown her abilities already, had been hard. Jessica’s magical potential first showed itself when she was not even walking yet, when she caused all the presents under the Christmas tree to unwrap themselves.

Before Ethan could think of something to say, Jessica came in from the kitchen and said, “It’s because you don’t have any magic, stupid!”

“Jessica!” Evelyn scolded but it was too late, the damage had been done. Lethia’s eyes widened and immediately filled with tears. Without a word, she jumped up, ran upstairs to Ethan’s room and locked herself in. She never went to her room because it was shared with Jessica.

Ethan sighed and turned off the SNES. He stood up and walked around the couch, flicking Jessica in the forehead as he walked by. “Good going, git.” Before his mother could get onto him, he was up the stairs in four giant steps. He stood outside his own door and knocked on it. “Lethy, let me in.”

“No!” came a weak voice and then a sniffle from within.

“It’s my room, and you can’t keep me locked out of it.”

“Yes I can!”

Ethan sighed and crossed his arms, waiting for a few moments to see if she would let him in or not. When she didn’t, he said, “How are we supposed to have our Full House-esque bonding moment if you don’t let me in?”

He was met with silence for a few moments longer and then he heard the soft padding of her bare feet across the floor and the click of the lock being turned. He reached out and opened the door, peering in before entering. Lethia was sitting on his low, twin-sized bed, her legs pulled up to her chest. She was still wiggling back onto the bed from getting up.

Ethan walked in and sat next to her, glancing around his room as if he expected something to be different. It was a small room, but it served him well. His desk sat at the only window, piled up with books and video game guides alike. His bed was against the wall, next to the tall wardrobe where he kept the few outfits he owned; after all, he only wore jeans and T-shirts with Quidditch teams on them. His Hogwarts trunk, a beat up black box, sat in the corner, open to show it’s guts consisting of old books, robes, a broom, and an assortment of other things. Above that hung his owl’s cage, empty at the moment. His wand was always in his pocket even though he couldn’t legally do magic outside of school. His room wasn’t much, but he loved it. Especially his collection of Quidditch posters that covered the gray walls.

“Jess is right, you know,” Lethia said quietly, sucking air through her nose to try to stifle her sniffling. “I don’t have any magic…”

“So what?” Ethan said. It would be cruel to tell her she might develop it when more than likely she wouldn’t. “You don’t need magic. Look at dad; he’s perfectly fine without it.”

Lethia sighed and unfolded her knees, sitting cross-legged and hanging her head. “I know that, and it’s not that. It’s that I really, really want to have magic. It would be so cool. All the things I could do…” She looked up at Ethan. “I’m so jealous of you and Jess, and she rubs it in my face.”

“Well, you’ll probably be able to see all sorts of things that regular people can’t see. So in a way, you do have a gift.” He smiled at her, a true, happy smile that he reserved for her. “You can draw all those cool things and make lots of money on them!”

Lethia smiled a little at him. “That’s true…”

“And you never know, there’s a slight chance you could develop magic someday,” Ethan said carefully, unsure if he should really be telling her, so he added, “but it’s very slight.”

“I’ll be hoping,” Lethia said and smiled a little more, though she looked sad. “But I won’t count on it.”

Ethan didn’t know what to say, so he just pulled her to him in a giant bear hug. After awhile Lethia started wiggling, complaining about not being able to breathe.

“Look, Lethy. When Jess gets a letter and has to go to Diagon Ally, there will be no stopping mom and dad from you coming.” Ethan patted her on the head. “And I’ll get you some cool wizard trinkets and show you around myself.”

“Deal.” Lethia grinned.

Before anymore could be said or promised a scream came from downstairs. He could hear things falling over and someone running down the hallway of the first floor. Ethan and Lethia jumped up and ran out to the top of the stairs.

Robert’s armchair was turned over and his coffee mug broken on the floor. Standing in the living room was Jessica, laughing so hard she was about to fall over. Evelyn had disappeared from the room, probably chasing down her husband. Sitting on the hearth on the fireplace was a little brownish boreal owl, covered from head to toe in soot from the chimney.

“Oh, Sandy!” Lethia cooed and ran down the stairs, immediately scooping the dirty owl up. “How many times do we have to tell you to come to the window?”

Ethan shook his head, finally coming down the stairs. “I think he knows that dad is terrified of birds so he does it to make his entrance more dramatic.”

Sandy, which was just a nickname Lethia gave him, chirruped and ruffled his feathers, sending ash everywhere. He had a pink and purple scarf wrapped around his tiny head that hadn’t been there when he left.

“Oh lord, what did Katie do to you, Santa?” Ethan asked, using his proper name, and reached out to him. He untied the letter from his leg and unrolled it. It was from Katie:

Ethan,
Have you gotten your letter yet? The list of books looks scary! We’re in for a hard year. When are you going to Diagon Ally? I’ll try to be there the same day so I can make sure you get the right stuff. Haha!
Oh, have you read today’s Daily Prophet? Apparently, Harry Potter is in a lot of trouble with the Ministry. I wonder what happened. The paper is saying he’s just seeking attention and they’re saying horrible things about Dumbledore!
Oh, why don’t you let Sandy wear the scarf I made him? He really likes it!

Love,
Katie ♥

“E’tan, Sandy’s wearing lipstick!”

“What!” Ethan looked closely at his happily chirping owl to see pink smudges on his beak. “Katie’s trying to turn my owl gay!”

“Aw, I think he looks sweet.” Lethia laughed and carried him into the kitchen to clean him off. Once he was happily wearing his now cleaned and dried scarf, he trotted up stairs by flying to the bottom step and then hopping his way up. Ethan shook his head at his silly bird and watched him go to his room.

“He’s in my room now, Dad!” Ethan called down the hallway. After a few moments, a timid Robert peered around the corner, Evelyn at his elbow patting him on the shoulder.

“Really, Ethan, you need to train that bird of yours to come to your window,” Evelyn said reprovingly.

“I tried, he prefers the chimney! I think he knows it freaks dad out.”

“Freak me out?” Robert shook his head, putting on a brave face. “He doesn’t freak me out!”

A hoot came from upstairs and Robert immediately turned pale and would have bolted but Evelyn held fast to him.

Ethan smiled nervously. “See?”

Evelyn just pursed her lips and glared at her son. He shrugged and, shoving his letter into his pocket, headed upstairs. After feeding and giving Santa water, he sat at his desk and cleared off enough room for him to write Katie back:

Katie,
I’m going alone this year because Lethy got upset. I was thinking maybe the first week of August. I was hoping I could come stay with you in London for the rest of the summer? Mom won’t mind, and she can convince my dad. Let me know.
Oh, and stop dressing up Santa like a girl! HE’S A BOY!

Love,
Ethan

[Chellendora]

Bump!

[NiteHawk1138]

This is really cool!!!
I love your diction and imagery, you've a great writing style.

I'd like to know what house Ethan is in. .....(clicks subscribe button)

[Chellendora]

The Black Sheep

Chapter 2: Bright Scarves and Pink Lipstick

“I still can’t believe you purposely got a Troll in Divination!” Katie exclaimed. She and Ethan were sitting on her back porch. Katie had strips of bacon that she was pinching off and tossing to Santa, who was hopping back and forth on the porch rail like a bad carnival game. Her brown hair was pulled back into a casual ponytail, her amber-like eyes watching Santa affectionately. “How do you even do that? Not even take the test?”

“I predicted only happiness and joy for everyone!” he said, purposely making his voice sound as gay as possible. He watched as Santa caught another piece of bacon in his beak and gobbled it down. “Stop feeding him all the time, he’ll get fat and not be able to fly.”

Katie gave him a skeptical look and tossed Santa another piece. “What classes are you continuing in?”

Ethan had to think for a minute. “Five, I know.” He held up a finger as he said each class, “Charms, History…um, Defense against the Dark Arts, Muggle Studies and uh…Care of Magical Creatures.”

“Care of Magical Creatures?” Katie raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t think anybody was continuing in that class!”

“Mom didn’t want me to only have four classes.” He rolled his eyes. “She’s still harping on me to try for a position in the Ministry, so she thinks the more classes the merrier.”

“I think you should try too,” Katie said, giving him a sweet look. “You know Ludo Bagman resigned after the Triwizard Tournament. You could try to get his job!”

Ethan let out a short bark of a laugh. “By the time I made my way up that high they’ll have replaced him already.”

“It’s still worth a shot,” Katie said. She ran out of bacon bits and got up to take her plate into the kitchen. The window was open though, so Ethan could talk and she still hear him.

“I really want to be on a professional Quidditch team,” he said, already imagining himself flying the best broom, beating back bludgers and the crowd cheering…

“I know that,” Katie said thoughtfully, washing the plate and setting it on the dish rack. “But that’s a long shot too.”

“Only because I’ve been a reserve beater for four years,” he muttered, frowning and slumping down more into his chair.

Katie frowned, coming back onto the porch and sitting next to him. “Fred and George will be graduating this year so…”

“So next year I can be beater, yeah,” he said, though he wasn’t excited. “One year. A professional team will see that and laugh. It makes me look like I was a last resort.”

“You’re not a last resort! There are people better than they are and they should understand that. Fred and George just established themselves the year before you.”

“And they’re better than me, I know you’re thinking it,” Ethan said, but he wasn’t angry. He knew it to be true. The Weasley twins were better than he was, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t any good. He gets to play a good bit, considering that they were often getting detention and not allowed to play in games every now and then, and he did a very good job. Sometimes better, he thought.

“I’m sorry, you know I think you’re great,” Katie smiled.

Ethan smiled at her. “You have to, you’re my girlfriend.” He stood up and stretched. It was getting on in the afternoon and they had been sitting on the porch talking since he got there early that morning. “I’m hungry.” He kissed her on top of the head as he walked past into the kitchen, immediately going into the pantry to rummage around as if it was his own house.

“Don’t eat dad’s supply of chocolate frogs. He’ll throw a fit,” Katie said as she followed him. She pulled him from the pantry and shut the door. “Mom and Dad will be home from work soon and it doesn’t take Dad long to whip up some food.”

“Fine, fine.” Ethan sighed. The two lovebirds headed into the living room to await the parents.

x x x

Ethan spent the rest of his summer with Katie. They played Quidditch in the backyard, magical chess in the living room at night, and made games of eating Bertie Botts’ Every Flavor Beans with her dad. Soon the first week of August came around and the two headed to Diagon Alley to get their supplies.

“Where to next? Flourish and Blott’s?” Katie asked, looking down at her list. They had already gone to the other shops (and made a couple of detours to Quality Quidditch Supplies and Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlor).

Ethan sighed, hanging his head. “If we have to…”

Katie laughed, shaking her head. “Yes, we do.” She grabbed his hand and started to drag him towards the bookshop, but they stopped when they heard two familiar voices hailing their names.

Ethan turned to see Alicia Spinnit and Angelina Johnson waving at them. Katie brightened up like a ray of sunshine and waved. “Hey!” She trotted over to them, Ethan following slower.

“How was your summer?” Angelina asked. This started the girlish small talk that made Ethan feel like a dumb lug because he couldn’t keep up, didn’t want to, and didn’t understand half of it anyway.

“So having to drag Ethan around, hm?”

“What?” Ethan snapped out of it, looking down at Angelina.

Katie laughed. “Of course, whatever else?”

“Are you excited about the new Quidditch season, Ethan?” Alicia asked, looking up at the much taller boy. He was about six foot.

Ethan shrugged. “I guess, though I’ll only get to play if the Weasley twins get in trouble.”

Angelina and Alicia laughed. “Then you’ll be sure to play!” she assured him. She then turned to Katie. “We’ll see you on the train, okay?”

“All right.” Katie waved goodbye and the two headed back on their previous course.

“Ethan?”

“Hm?”

“You…seem more bummed than usual about being a beater reserve.”

Ethan sighed. “It’s just mom was harping on me all summer about doing something with my life and she doesn’t want to accept that I want to just play Quidditch, and it made me realize that I probably really don’t have a chance and she’ll be right.” He felt comfortable confiding in her, she had been his girlfriend for two years on September 15. He wasn’t quite as open with anyone else, except maybe Lethia, but he didn’t want to talk about this kind of stuff with her because it would bum her out and he wanted her to always be happy.

“Well, you could still try for teams even while working in the Ministry,” Katie reassured, linking her arm with his and patting his forearm.

“I know…Lethy heard a lot about it though, and it really got her riled up. She’d never acted so upset about not having magic…”

Katie sighed sadly. “I wish she did, Lethia would make a wonderful witch, better than Jessica.” She frowned. “But being Squib isn’t a bad thing. Filch is a—” She stopped when Ethan gave her a horrified look. “Ethan I’m—”

“No, let’s just drop it for now.” Ethan pushed the door open to Flourish and Blott’s for her. “Let’s get our books and head home.” Katie nodded and walked into the store.

x x x

“Advanced Book of Spells?” Katie said as she pulled the book out of her bag. She and Ethan were sitting on the floor of her room, working on packing their trunks. She hadn’t touched the stuff she bought in Diagon Alley since she picked it up off the shelf. The next day they were leaving for Hogwarts.

“It has a lot of cool charms in it,” said Ethan, who had been reading it already. “Much better stuff that we were learning in the standard book.”

“At least you’re excited about one class.”

“That’s not true.”

“Oh?” Katie raised an eyebrow.

“I’m excited about Quidditch.”

“That’s not a class!”

Ethan shrugged. “It should be.”

Katie shook her head and continued placing her books in her trunk. Ethan did the same, trying to cram them in with his badly packed robes and other things. Santa chirped disapprovingly from his perch on the lid of the open trunk. Ethan did a powerful push to shove everything down, causing the lid to slam shut on his arms. Santa flew into the air with a terrified hoot and Ethan cried out in pain.

“Merlin—are you all right!” Katie turned quickly, startled by all of the noise. She lifted the trunk lid, showing two red lines engraved on Ethan’s arms.

He pulled them back and rubbed them. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“You really should organize better…For starters, roll your clothes. It’ll take up less room.”

Ethan shooed Katie away. She walked away on her knees, settling back down in front of her trunk. Ethan grudgingly dumped his trunk out and began grumbling as he rolled his clothing. Katie giggled and reached in the bag.

“Advanced Book of Spells Volume One…Defensive Magical Theory...” she continued to say the name of the books as she put them in her trunk, checking them off her list. When she was done, she turned to Ethan’s books. “Did you get everything?”

“Yeah,” he said, still diligently rolling clothes, though it was starting to get sloppy. Katie didn’t seem to hear him. She took his list and sat next to his pile of books. “Advanced Book of Spells…Defensive Magical Theory…a very old, battered A History of Magic…Muggles Around the World…wait, you only have four books.”

“So?”

“You’re taking five classes!”

Ethan put the rolled robe into the trunk and looked at his pile. “That’s all that was on the list.”

Katie looked down at his list. “That’s weird…what other class are you taking? Care of Magical Creatures?”

“Yeah.” Ethan took the list from her and began setting the books in his trunk. “Hagrid probably didn’t choose a textbook.”

Santa landed on the top of Katie’s closed trunk and hooted, trying to get her attention. “Oh!” She got up and went to her dresser, pulling something from a shoebox. It was a pink and purple scarf, this time knitted with a glittery thread intertwined.

“Don’t do it!” Ethan protested, pointing his finger at her threateningly.

Katie smirked and walked over to Santa who was rocking back and forth, foot to foot, in excitement. She wrapped the scarf around him and he hopped around happily. “He loves my scarves!”

“They’re girly! At least make them a manly color!”

“Katie!” a male voice called from downstairs. “Bed time!”

“That means you have to go to your room,” said Katie, dismissing his arguing.

“Take that off him!” Ethan continued to protest.

“Good night,” Katie gave him a peck on the lips and began to push him out of her room.

“Take that thing off him, you’ll turn him—!” He was cut off when Katie shut the door in his face. Santa hooted happily and flew around the room before settling in his cage, burying his beak in his feathers. He understood “bed time” even though it was just Katie’s father’s way of saying “Boy, get out of my daughter’s room before I accio your head to my hand.”

x x x

“Why does your dad hate me so much?” Ethan asked as he and Katie found an empty compartment aboard the Hogwarts Express. He lifted her trunk into the luggage rack and then his.

Katie sat on the bench, right next to the window. “He doesn’t hate you! If he did he wouldn’t let you spend part of your summer with me.”

Ethan sat down across from her and propped his feet up on her bench, trapping her between his legs and the window. “I think your mom has something to do with that.”

“She likes you a lot. But dad calls you a playboy.”

“What!” Ethan’s eyes widened. “But I’ve only had one other girlfriend than you!”

“He thinks you flirt with all the girls, the typical jock, blah blah blah,” Katie smiled. “Don’t worry about it.”

The light from the window made the glitter in her lip-gloss shine. He noticed how nice her hair looked today, hugging her face. Simple but pretty dangling earrings showed through and she had put on enough make up to still look natural.

Ethan smiled. “You look really pretty.”

Katie smiled, obviously pleased, but said, “I know.”

“Looking to pick up some guys, huh? Your dad should see what a playgirl you are.”

Katie laughed and grabbed a throw pillow from the other end of the bench and beat him with it.

“Uh oh! Ole Ethan’s getting the whip again!” A voice roared along with very badly done whip swish noises.

They both looked up to a very tall, wide bulk of a boy standing in the doorway—well, sort of. He was more like making his own doorway by causing the doorframe to bend a little. He had short black hair, cut all the way to his scalp, and dark skin and eyes. His arms where huge but his legs not so much so he resembled an upside down triangle. His head was a square with a large nose, large chin, large lips, and large ears. Behind him stood an attractive boy maybe one inch shorter than Ethan, but he looked so much shorter by the big boy. He had longish blond hair, square frame glasses, and a lanky frame.

Ethan grinned. “Shut up, Mike. Want me to beat you up again?”

Mike began laughing, a booming sound that was probably making the train wobble on its tracks. “Yeah, when I need to be tickled with a feather I’ll pick a fight with you!” He forced himself into the compartment, sitting down on the bench with Katie. She suddenly had only a foot of room.

The other boy came in and sat next to Ethan.

He turned to him, still grinning. “How was your summer, Rover?”

“Oh you know…boring.”

“Hey.” Mike crossed his arms, glaring at Rover. “You were at my house all summer!”

“Exactly.” Rover said, looking miserable and worn out. “All you and your dad do is work out. All day. Every day. That’s it.” He turned to Ethan. “They don’t do anything else.” His eyes widened, making him look crazed.

“I tried to get you to join us!”

“Your meat-head father would have killed me,” hissed Rover.

“Who you calling a meat-head!”

“You.”

“Why I ought’a!”

Ethan laughed and looked at Katie. “Don’t you love them?”

Katie rolled her eyes. “Oh yes. I’m going to find Angelina and Alicia.” She stood and pecked him on the cheek before leaving, only to be pursued by catcalls from Mike.

When she was gone, Mike turned to Ethan. “When you gonna let me have a go with her?”

“Never.” Ethan said in a tone that showed this wasn’t the first time he had been asked this.

“She wouldn’t go for you anyway, she likes a little brain with her brawn,” said Rover in his usual creepy, quiet voice. If you didn’t know him better you’d think he was a serial killer time bomb.

The rest of the trip went on about like this. Mike and Rover fought like cats and dogs and Ethan played as moderator. More than once the girls from next door asked them to be quiet. After arriving at Hogwarts, Mike could be found sitting on the bench in the Great Hall (reinforced by magic to hold his bulk) and grumbling impatiently about being hungry. Ethan scanned the head table, wondering who was replacing Moody as the next Defense Against the Dark Arts victim. His eyes settled only a piggy woman wearing far too much pink. He also noticed that Professor Grubbly-Plank, the Care of Magical Creatures teacher before Hagrid, had returned.

“Where’s Hagrid?” Ethan asked to anyone who would answer.

His friends turned to look at the head table.

“Dunno, mate, that’s weird,” Mike said.

“I hope he’s all right…” Katie whispered.

Professor McGonagall walked to the front of the Great Hall with a stool and the sorting hat. She sat the old, tattered hat on the stool and stepped back. The chatter was suddenly disrupted by the Sorting Hat beginning his song:

In times of old when I was new
And Hogwarts barely started
The founders of our noble school
Thought never to be parted:
United by a common goal,
They had the selfsame yearning,
To make the world's best magic school
And pass along their learning.
“Together we will build and teach!”
The four good friends decided.
And never did they dream that they
Might someday be divided,
For were there such friends anywhere
As Slytherin and Gryffindor?
Unless it was the second pair
Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw?
So how could it have gone so wrong?
How could such friendships fail?
Why, I was there so I can tell
The whole sad, sorry tale.
Said Slytherin, “We'll teach just those
Whose ancestry is purest.”
Said Ravenclaw, “We'll teach those who’s
Intelligence is surest.”
Said Gryffindor, “We'll teach all those
With brave deeds to their name,”
Said Hufflepuff, “I'll teach the lot
And treat them just the same.”
These differences caused little strife
When first they came to light,
For each of the four founders had
A house in which they might
Take only those they wanted, so,
For instance, Slytherin
Took only pure-blood wizards
Of great cunning, just like him,
And only those of sharpest mind
Were taught by Ravenclaw
While the bravest and the boldest
Went to daring Gryffindor.
Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest,
And taught them all she knew,
Thus the Houses and their founders
Maintained friendships firm and true.
So Hogwarts worked in harmony
For several happy years,
But then discord crept among us
Feeding on our faults and fears.
The Houses that like pillars four,
Had once held up our school,
Now turned upon each other and,
Divided sought to rule.
And for a while it seemed the school
Must meet an early end,
What with dueling and with fighting
And the clash of friend on friend
And at last there came a morning
When old Slytherin departed
And though the fighting then died out
He left us quite downhearted.
And never since the founders four
Were whittled down to three
Have the Houses been united
As they once were meant to be.
And now the Sorting Hat is here
And you all know the score:
I sort you into Houses
Because that is what I'm for,
But this year I'll go further,
Listen closely to my song:
Though condemned I am to split you
Still I worry that it's wrong,
Though I must fulfill my duty
And must quarter every year
Still I wonder whether sorting
May not bring the end I fear.
Oh, know the perils, read the signs,
The warning history shows
For our Hogwarts is in danger
From external, deadly foes
And we must unite inside her
Or we'll crumble from within
I have told you I have warned you…
Let the Sorting now begin.

Afterward, Professor McGonagall began calling out names of first years to be sorted. Once that business was over Dumbledore stood and silence fell over the Hall.

“To our newcomers,” said Dumbledore in his usual megaphone of a voice, greeting his students with a smile, “welcome! To our hands—welcome back! There is a time for speech making, but this is not it. Tuck in!” On cue, the plates filled with delicious food that looked so vibrant and wonderful that it could have been painted.

“Did you hear about Harry Potter?” Rover whispered from next to Ethan. Without thinking about it, he glanced down the table at the young celebrity.

“Yeah, Katie told me he used magic outside of school,” Ethan answered in a whisper.

“Then shouldn’t he have been expelled?”

“He’s Dumbledore’s little pet and a pawn of the Ministry, of course not,” Ethan said and ripped a piece of bread from his roll and shoved it in his mouth.

“Lay off,” Angelina said, “you’re just sour because he got on the Quidditch team his first year and you’re still just a reserve.”

“Angelina!” Katie scolded.

“Forget it, Katie, she doesn’t listen to reason,” Ethan said with poison.

Angelina glowered. “I’m the new Quidditch captain, Ethan, so if you want to even play during practice you better start kissing my arse!”

“I’m not putting my lips where Fred’s has been!” Ethan shot back.

“Stop it!” Mike bellowed, slamming his fist on the table. Almost everyone turned to look as food flew everywhere. “You’re giving me indigestion!”

Everyone stopped arguing, but they also stopped talking. The rest of the meal was eaten in silence. Once the wonderful food had been picked clean, Dumbledore stood once more. Ethan hoped it was a short speech because his full belly was making him very sleepy.

“Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices.” Good, Ethan thought, soon I’ll be up in that wonderful bed… “First-years ought to know that the Forest in the grounds is out-of-bounds to students—and a few of our older students ought to know by now, too.” Ethan guessed Fred and George, but Harry Potter’s tri-force had gotten into their share of trouble out there. “Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the four-hundred-and-sixty-second time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr. Filch’s door.

We have had two changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons; we are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.”

Drowsy, uninterested applause filled the hall for a few dreary moments. Ethan noticed that Harry and his friends were exchanging worried looks.

“Tryouts for the house Quidditch teams will take place on the—” Dumbledore suddenly stopped and everyone leaned forward in their seats, all eyes turning to Professor Umbridge. She was now standing and cleared her throat. Surprise rippled through the staff table, but Dumbledore graciously sat down and waited—eagerly, it seemed—for her to speak.

“Thank you, headmaster,” she said, her voice making Ethan regret signing up to continue Defense Against the Dark Arts, “for those kind words of welcome.” She cleared her throat again and continued, “Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say! And to see such happy little faces looking up at me!”

None of the faces were looking very happy at the moment. In fact, some looked quite mutinous for this woman—this newcomer—to mess with the order of things.

“I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all and I’m sure we’ll be very good friends!” Once again, she cleared her throat. Ethan wanted to offer her a lozenge—a poisoned one. “The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by…”

Ethan began to zone out and picked at his plate, moving bits of food about with his fork. He had begun to construct a pyramid of buffalo wings’ bones when Katie elbowed him in the ribs. He let out a muffled sound of pain and glanced at her. She just nodded back to the staff table.

“…again, progress for progress’s sake must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then, between old and new, between permanence and…”

“What the bloody hell is this crone rambling about?”

“I dunno, mate, but her sweater is making me yearn from some of Mam’s pepto-bis-a-ma-thing-un,” Mike said, laying a hand on his stomach and looking rather green.

Ethan didn’t listen to another word she said, back to constructing his pyramid. When Katie elbowed him again she caused him to accidently destroy it with his fork. He pouted at her.

“Thank you very much, Professor Umbridge, that was most illuminating.” Ethan looked up to see that Dumbledore had taken the podium back. He finished his announcements, the only of which that interested Ethan being when the Quidditch tryouts were. He glanced down the table at Fred and George. Maybe he could beat one of them out this year…but what chance did he have against twin talent?

He was the first one off the bench when they were dismissed, making his way out of the Great Hall with his friends before the first years were rounded up and pouring out. He said good night to Katie and he, Mike, and Rover climbed the stairs to their dorm. He fell into bed fully dressed and was out like a light within moments.

x x x

[Chellendora]

This story is still being continued, just not here.

You can find it here and here.

[Chellendora]

I've decided to continue the story here.

[Chellendora]

The Black Sheep

Chapter 3: Bludgers and Black Eyes

Monday was the start of term. Despite how glad Ethan was to be back in school, he wasn’t excited about having to get up early, especially because his first class of the day was History of Magic. He loved history, but Professor Binns’s teaching style was beyond boring. He wondered how well he would do in the class having it so early.

One person who had no trouble getting up early was Mike. He was up at the crack of dawn doing pushups, sit ups, lunges, and whatever else he could do. He even had his own set of weights packed away in his trunk. This activity, of course, woke up Rover who started to complain, which woke up Ethan and Joshua, the other boy who shared their dorm room.

“You do this every bloody year!” Joshua exclaimed as he got out of bed, pulling on his jeans and a band T-shirt.

“Hey, I have to suffer through you and Rover’s poetry pow-wows,” Mike countered, pointing a large, meaty finger at him, “you can handle this!”

Ethan chose to ignore them and got ready in silence. He grabbed the olive drab messenger bag from his trunk and put the books he would need that morning in it, and then snuck out the door.

“Quidditch is for wimps,” Mike said later that morning at breakfast. He shoveled another plateful of bacon into his mouth and then began to refill his plate for the third time.

“You’re just bitter because a broom can hardly hold your bulk,” Ethan said, his stomach churning as he watched his friend eat. What he said was true…when Mike got on a broom the poor thing started to groan and flew very sluggishly. Because of that, Professor McGonagall banned him from Quidditch for fear the broom would snap under his weight.

Mike just grunted in response, his third breakfast in the past half hour keeping his attention.

“Morning boys!” a cheerful voice called.

Ethan looked up to see Katie and Angelina sitting down across from him and Mike.

“Good morning, Rover,” Angelina said, nudging the gloomy boy with her elbow. “Doesn’t all this sun make you happy?”

Rover cut his eyes at her, looking close to murderous. “No,” he replied curtly.

“All right now, leave Rover alone,” Katie scolded, but she was smiling.

Angelina shrugged and turned to Ethan, the look in her eyes saying that he was her next target. “Ready for Quidditch tryouts tonight?”

Ethan wasn’t about to let her prod him into a fight like usual, so he calmly said, “Yep.”

Angelina frowned, looking put out. “You people are really boring this morning.”

“Maybe because we’re not thrilled about your Quidditch tactics,” Ethan said, looking pointedly at her. Katie gave him a look of warning but he ignored her.

Angelina visibly tensed. “Excuse me?”

“Tryouts and first practice on the same day? Isn’t that a little much?”

“I want to get in as much practice as possible so that we can win this year!” she said in her defense, glowering. “Don’t you?”

Ethan didn’t answer. Once Angelina got hot and bothered there was no way to win. Arguing was pointless and just proved to give him a headache.

Not receiving an answer from him, she turned on Katie. “Don’t you?” Katie only shrugged her shoulders, not going for the bait.

x x x

Ethan was the first one to arrive to Quidditch tryouts. When Angelina and Katie arrived carrying the balls chest between them, he had been circling the pitch making perfect Bludger hits for over an hour. They set the chest in the middle of the field and looked up to watch him.

Katie cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled, “Come down from there!”

“You’re going to wear yourself out before you can even try out!” Angelina said, laughing. She turned to the chest and kicked it open. Immediately she could hear the sound of the Snitch shaking anxiously in its little prison, eager to get free. The Bludgers shook the whole chest with their violent attempts but were still constrained. Only the Quaffle lay still. She was glad that the ball she was concerned with wasn’t bewitched to try and kill her or get away.

Ethan landed, slipping off his broom onto his feet in one fluid motion. He put his broom over one shoulder and the bat over the other. “I’m good. Nothing runs down my endurance,” he said with a proud grin.

“Don’t suck up to me, Mr. Gage,” Angelina said, putting her hands on her hips and narrowing her eyes at him. “I know you already.”

“I would hope you do, as many times as I’ve tried out,” Ethan grumbled.

It wasn’t long after that that others began to arrive. A few first years filled the stands to watch, they’re little faces lit up with excitement and a bit of apprehension; they obviously knew that sometimes the Bludgers would get hit into the stands. When Ron Weasley entered the Pitch carrying a broom Ethan blinked with surprise. As he entered the pitch he clutched his broom tightly as if afraid it would get away from him, and his eyes were glued to the ground, his face as red as his hair. His twin brothers followed him, mocking him and poking at him with their brooms. As much as Ethan liked the Weasley twins he couldn’t help but feel sorry for the younger one. Actually, he felt sorry for the whole family. He knew they caught hell off those boys.

Once everyone arrived Angelina clapped her hands and yelled over the talking, “All right, gather around me!” Those to be tried gathered around her, eager and nervous. The tension was ridiculous.

“First things first, if you’re a first year, leave. Only second years and up can try out for the Quidditch team,” she began, and then began to go through the annual reading of the rules and such as she was required to do. Ethan tuned it all out, but was still able to mouth each word. He had heard it so many times he bet he could recite it in his sleep, if he hadn’t already. He glanced over and noticed Katie and the Weasley twins to be feeling the same. When she saw him looking at her she winked, giving him an encouraging smile.

Finally, the real try outs began. Angelina first had everyone who wanted to be Chaser get on their brooms and enter the air. She told them when to pass and who to pass to, and who should make a goal. She would then throw up the Quaffle and watch how they did. She repeated this, giving different people different roles. This part of the try out took the longest. Being a Chaser herself, Angelina scrutinized the people harshly. These were people she would be relying on each game to follow her plays and make shots. Katie was a shoe in; she was fast and graceful in the air. She would catch the Quaffle and pass it in one breath, never faltering. She seemed to be helping the amateurs along more than trying out herself. She knew she would be on the team. Just like the Weasley twins did, as well as Harry, who didn’t even have to try out.

Ethan watched. He could feel the tension from the other beaters around him. They were terrified of Angelina, and he didn’t blame them. Honestly, he was too. But he wasn’t nervous. He knew he was a good player. He just had to be better than the twins this year. It wouldn’t do to just be better than one either. He had learned long ago that the twins were a package. You either got both, or neither.

Next were the Keepers. Ethan, along with Fred and George Weasley, were surprised to find that Ron did the best out of all of them. He didn’t let a single shot get past him. He still looked awakward and red faced, but after blocking a few shots he began to get more and more confident. Angelina couldn’t possibly turn that down, but the boy still looked nervous and sick to his stomach as he returned to the ground and went to sit in the stands with the tried chasers. The stands had filled up with some of his friends now, and they were cheering him on.

And then it was time for the Beaters.

As usual, Fred, George, and Ethan were sent up alone. Angelina always put them together. It was the best way to gauge their skills, as they were obviously the best three Beaters there.

“All right, last one on his broom wins the round,” she explained. “Then I will compare the strategies of all of you to decide.”

She released one Bludger and it began.

Ethan gripped his bat tightly, his heart racing in his chest. He eyes darted about the Pitch, his ears were alert, listening for the sound of the wind being sliced by the bloody thing. Finally, he caught it. He swung, aiming to hit George. But he countered it, and the Bludger flew back towards Ethan. He dropped altitude to avoid the hit, then climbed again. For a long time now they raced around each other, unable to get any hits or near hits, sometimes unable to find the Bludger. Finally, Fred gave it a good whack and it hit Ethan in the arm. He slipped from his broom but was able to hold on. He pulled himself back onto his broom and darted off to avoid another hit. He caught up to the Bludger and hit it as hard as he could.

It hit its mark. George fell from his broom, catching at it was his right hand but hitting the ground before he could get a good hold. Angelina and Katie gasped, as did everyone in the stands. Once it was known that George was okay Katie began to scream for Ethan, jumping up and down with excitement.

“You can do it, Ethan!” she encouraged.

Full of pride and adrenaline, Ethan rounded on Fred. But he had paused for too long. Fred had been able to get to Bludger. Ethan turned just in time for the Bludger to crash into his already bruised arm, knocking him clear off his broom and onto the ground. He groaned, the force the impact and his throbbing arm felt like he had just got sat on by Hagrid.

“Round!” Angelina yelled as Katie ran over to Ethan.

“Are you okay?” she asked urgently, her eyes wide with concern.

“I’m fine,” Ethan mumbled and got up, brushing the dirt and grass from his robes. He held his hand out to his broom and it flew to his hand. “I’ll going back to the dorm.”

“But you might have made it!” Katie whispered, her eyes still wide.

“No, I doubt that,” Ethan replied.

Despondent, he left the pitch. Katie went to follow after him but Angelina stopped her, she was needed there.

Ethan put away his Quidditch gear and slowly trudged up to the dormitory. On his way, he ran into Harry coming down the hallway. He was clutching his hand and looked angry.

“What’s wrong with you, Potter?” Ethan asked, though he wasn’t sure why he did. He didn’t really care at the moment.

Luckily, Harry didn’t want to talk at the moment. “Nothing,” he said and hid his hand. “How were tryouts? I was just on my way.”

“Your friend did well.” Ethan walked away then, not wanting to discuss it. He went to his dorm and lay on his bed with his History of Magic book.

Later Katie gave him the news. He wasn’t a Beater for another year. The team was set. They had a new Chaser and a new Keeper, but everyone else stayed the same, including Ethan, the backup Beater.

x x x

[Master Gangsta Kanine]

whoa, i love it SO much!! did you put it up somewhere else, cause i SWEAR ive read chapters 1 through to five! but i cant find where that was sad still, its SOO good!