Thank you Conners, thanks for the congratulations and liking my avvie and siggy. I didn't actually draw the pictures, not that I couldn't if you've seen my account on DA you'd see I'm great at drawing. Its the coloring part that always stumps me. We shall see.

Neways, thanks for being a sweet friend Conners, and being so loyal to this story. I wish I could do the same for you ... but I never get to read much less write so ... I hope you understand.

You're too cute Lari But I wouldn't have won if y'all hadn't voted. Cuz I know everyone else was voting for someone else. LOL

So anyways, we're at the end of a very long road, lemme start by saying I'm sorry it took so long to get here. I hope you all will take the time to reread the story someday and see that it wasn't all just a silly joke. But rather a tale of woe and sadness and mirth or something.

That said, on with the show.



Poets often use many words
To say a simple thing
But it takes thought and time and rhyme
To make a poem sing

With music and words I'll be playin'
For you, I have written a song
To be sure that you know what I'm sayin'
I'll translate as I go along ...
(Utada Hikaru~Fly Me To The Moon)



Like all stories, this story had a beginning, though farther back than most remember. It too had a middle road where it diverged into many paths following a group of characters one way as another group’s adventures still await their telling, and like all stories too this one has an end, though it has been long in the making and longer in the arriving. So let us pick up now, where we last left off our intrepid heroes, in the office of the Headmaster recounting their own version of this tale’s end.


The light glinted from the headmaster’s glasses as he leaned forward. “I’m sorry, did I hear right?” Dumbledore asked the boy. “Your dragon companion ate Dracula, the father of vampires?” There was no sign of incredulity in the headmaster’s voice, there was much happening in the wizarding world at the moment and news from other countries traveled slow since the war had begun.

“Yes, headmaster,” Diego replied. “It wasn’t for long though, as he spat him out in a fireball because he tasted so bad.” Guacala, Diego thought to himself, why anyone would want undead flesh … still it had happened in the heat of battle so he could forgive his dragon friend from trying to eat a vampire.

“Please go on,” the headmaster prodded politely. The story really was just getting interesting.

“Yeah, please,” Harry added, moving towards the edge of his seat.

And so the story continues …

The battle in Dracula’s floating castle raged on. Teddy slashed his way through countless vampires and trolls making his way towards his friend Ottery, but still more and more would come like an endless sea of monsters. His swordwand slashed, the hilt slamming into monster’s faces, kicking, punching and occasionally dropping a bomb or two. But still Ottery, lay an ocean away from him with Tiffany and some other cloaked figure. In the heat of the battle he could scarcely spare a second to look carefully.

Meanwhile the burning ball of vampire slammed into a wall to file on the ground a seething pile of burning flesh and smelling like death. Vampires rushed to extinguish their Dark Lord, removing him against his wishes. Dracula threw a stream of curses, invectives and obscenities at our intrepid heroes, as he could do nothing else in his present skinless deformed state. Storm Wind the dragon continued his rampage. Slamming things with his tail, gutting creatures with his long sharp claws and biting when he wasn’t spewing fire, but being in the center of the hallway he blocked the way to where Tiffany and Ottery were preventing his enemies and his allies in his thoughtless rage from reaching their companion, Ottery.

And our dearly departed intrepid hero? He found himself not quite dead. Tiffany faced the prone form of Hector. Berating herself for trusting the boy she rifled his pockets, even as Ottery groaned behind her.

“Stop being such a … oh what the hel is the politically correct thing to say?!” Tiffany yelled exasperated. She couldn’t very well call Ottery a girl.

“Baby, I think baby’s still okay … cuz they … can’t … complain, and really … all they do … is whine.”

“You stupid silly a—” Tiffany turned around and felt her wand fly out of her hand. Her back slammed against the wall next to where Hector had fallen, knocked out, and there was suddenly a hand at her throat. “What?”

“Leave her alone … Evangeline …” Ottery exclaimed from where he writhed on the ground.

“I don’t think so,” The vampiress said turning to the boy with a smirk that could boil water as easily as infuriate his powerlessness.

“Please,” the boy cried, crawling towards her.

Evangeline showed the boy her hand, her nails growing like claws, and before he could say anything she stabbed Tiffany, and then stabbed her again, and again. The chocolate curls haired girl coughed up blood. Ottery screamed.

“I do so love making people suffer. Its one of the few joys I have in life … you know living a long time can … well … make some experiences boring you’d think right? But the truth is no. Living is about change and as long as things change they’re fun. And even when they don’t I mean do you really ever get tired of eating vanilla ice cream? I just have a love for pain. It’s become my hobby through the ages.”

“Then you’ll love this,” Tiffany remarked slamming a cross on the girl’s face.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaah,” Evangeline screamed, dropping the curly haired girl. “You witch!”

Tiffany did not waste time, roundhouse kicking her to the floor. Before she could stand up, Ottery grabbed her hair to stop her standing up and Tiffany slammed her heel into the girl’s windpipe. “Stay down vamp or I’ll sever your head. My friend is dying I don’t have time for this.”

Ottery managed to get to his feet and smiled at the girl with the chocolate curls. Tiffany was holding her bleeding stomach but still she smiled. He swayed suddenly dizzy.

“Ottery!”

The boy held his hand out. “Don’t! If you get distracted she’ll …” but Evangeline was already knocking Tiffany off her feet. The vampiress ran towards the dark haired boy who smiled as he looked up at her his darkened eyes cold as ice. She flew back as she slammed into a magical shield he had created around himself. “You’re getting angry, angry makes you sloppy, and you’re boring me Evangeline. Go away and let me die in peace,” the boy objected.

Of course on the other side of the dragon things were becoming increasingly more difficult. Surrounded by vampires who seemed to come out of every crack and crevice of the floating castle Angel, Teddy and Diego found themselves with less room to fight, their backs up against their dragon friend, Storm Wind.

“This is ridiculous, I don’t have enough room for a blight spell,” Angel complained.

“I could throw a bomb, but I don’t know if you two could survive the blast,” Teddy complained.

“…” Diego said nothing in his usual way.

“Obviously, this is going to have to be a one man rescue, boys,” Teddy remarked.

“Finally we agree on something,” Angel replied.

“And since the dragon won’t go with me anywhere, Diego you’re out.” Teddy continued.

“And since you’re out cold, you have to go,” Angel said, stunning the boy. He turned to Diego, “Look I got wings, that’s why I’m Angel. Just get Teddy out of here, okay? I can fly Otty and me out of here. Just get you, the dragon and Teddy out of here.”

“And then what did you do?” Harry asked.

“I did as he asked,” Diego replied quietly. “I flew out of there with Storm Wind. He crashed through the castle walls, as I tried taking Teddy but when I got him on the dragon’s back he jumped off.”

“So how did Teddy get out?” Harry asked.

Diego said nothing.

And here Tiffany took over the story. “I guess it’s my turn now.”

With the dragon out of the way that left only Angel against a whole room of vampires. They were easily stunned with a sun blast and the boy ran down the hallway to where Tiffany and Ottery were. Evangeline bound in iron couldn’t escape.

“Let’s get out of here,” Angel exclaimed as he showed up. Ottery explained everything. “So? We can figure this out later.”

“I can’t leave the way I am, and you know why,” the dark haired boy replied.

“No I don’t. Look we don’t have time Ottery this story is already …” but before the boy could finish Ottery cut him off.

“I’m a slave of the master. Dracula was my maker … werewolf blood or not if he were to … he can control me. I can’t be trusted. I don’t trust that I can … fight his power,” the boy confessed reluctantly.

“So what are you saying? We’re supposed to kill you?” Angel said. “Because that’s out of the question.”

“Angel, I know this is difficult,” Tiffany started.

“No it isn’t. He comes with us. End of story. Now come with us or I’m dragging you out of here.”

“No, you’re taking Tiffany and we’ll meet you at the rendezvous,” the voice of Teddy remarked as a light appeared out of the shadows and the boy lit a cigar.

“I thought I took care of you,” Angel said aiming his wand at the boy.

“Your stunning spells suck,” Teddy replied. “Now take the girl and let Otty and me handle this.”

Angel was reluctant to leave but Tiffany looked at him and shook her head. The boys had made up their mind. Trying to deter them would be foolish.

“Ottery I … I love you,” Angel said. The dark haired boy blushed as the gray haired boy kissed him on the cheek. “Don’t die!”

Before the boy could walk away, Ottery grabbed his arm and hugged him, whispering in his ear, “Every problem has a solution Angel. Sometimes … we just … don’t like the answer.” He hugged the boy closely and let him go. Tiffany walked up to Ottery next and slapped him. “I guess I had that coming.”

“I love you too you idiot, come back soon,” Tiffany said.

“I will,” the boy smiled with warmth and innocence and Tiffany could see the boyish lie of it all.

“Of course Ottery could not be trusted with the secrets he knows and being close to Harry and Dracula and the Dark Lord possibly becoming allies … so …” and here Tiffany began to cry, as she placed a crystal on the headmaster’s table. “So Ottery trapped himself in this crystal. Like a genie in a bottle. Along with Evangeline, because she’s annoying, Teddy said.”

The headmaster made to pick up the long green crystal. He eyed it carefully, and a smirk slipped across his face. “Diego, Harry, call Teddy in, please,” the headmaster said, and both boys jumped at the headmaster’s request.

It was Harry who turned around and said to the headmaster, “He’s gone sir. Nothing but a cigar butt and this note.”

Dearest DD,

As I’m sure you guessed the second you saw the crystal, I’m not in it. Yeah, I know I can probably fight off Dracula’s influence, and yeah, I know life is funny, but what are you going to do about it? I think it’s about time I disappeared for a while. Take my show traveling and underground where I can probably do more to help Harry than if I hang around him and paint a whole other big target by simply being around him.
There’s stuff going on that I can’t tell you about. I can’t trust that this and anything else I send you won’t be intercepted. There are traitors in Hogwarts and no I don’t just mean Snape, though I would watch out for him, Professor Dumbledore. He always gives me shifty looks in class. And he never believes my dog ate my homework excuses … *sighs* of course they’re not always true, but that one time with the hydra, I wasn’t lying … I swear.
Anyways, I’ll be around headmaster. No, I’m not dead, and yes, I am a werevampire or werepire or whatever you call them. At least for right now, but I’m sure a yogi friend of mine in India can take care of that. It’s a small world, after all.
I will continue to fight the good fight, but every dog (or otter in this case) needs a mouse in his corner (or in my case a bear). Don’t hate me cuz I’m underhanded.

Yours or rather Ron’s always,

~Ottery St.

The Headmaster broke out in a loud laugh as he showed the others the letter. Tiffany of course screamed, Diego shook his head, and Harry smiled. The dark haired boy was a mystery to him and to everyone … always had been and always would be. But he was a tried and true friend wherever out there in the wizarding world he might be.



Epilogue:


Quoted from a story I wrote years earlier in one of my shorts thread, revised here because I just can’t leave my stuff alone:

Workers of the world UNITE!!!!!! Viva la revolucion!!!!!!1111111

One last time before we turn out the lights! *fires the cannons*

Goodbye & Farewell ...
By Ottery St. Catchpole

The train station was empty for afternoon, but there was only one train pulling into the little town and there would only be one passenger and he had no one waiting with him by the platform.

The dark haired boy sighed, and sat down on his trunk dejected and alone. He'd finally managed to do it. Pushed everyone so far away they wouldn't come back, and now to end it, he was going away forever.

He was sure it had to be that way, it was how God meant it to be. Dumbledore had been kind enough to help him with the train ticket. All the way to South America. Well not the train exactly, it couldn't go over water, just to Spain and there he would board a boat to Buenos Aires. Like the name said, good airs. He needed good air; something new to breathe the old world had been suffocating him.

Still he would miss some of them in his heart ♥, he knew. But it was best.

The train came into the station, all steam, flourish and gears turning and wheels grinding against iron rails, and his eyes started to water. The old fool had sent the Hogwarts Express ... the Old Hogwarts Express. Ottery could still remember boarding that train with Alejandro and Ruben ... back in ... what was it? 1916 ... but how time had flown.

He took up his trunk and the porter took it. Once on the train there was no coming back. He put one foot on the first step and looked away at the mountains outside of town. Running down the platform through the steam was a red headed figure, and he had his trunk with him. The dark haired boy smiled, and the tears fell down without pause.

He broke out into laughter as he saw behind Ronald Weasley, Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Alejandro, Cerberus, Damocles, Melissa, all the old members of Ottery's Love Brigade and they were all packing ... trunks for a long trip and wands for long fights ... because anywhere they went they could count on evil. And he smiled and he cried and they boarded the train ... even Teddy who Ginny had locked up in Pig's cage.

And they had many more adventures and they lived happily ever after ... at least between Ron and Hermione's fights, and Harry's temper tantrums, Ottery's moments of supreme emoness, and Teddy's incessant cannon firing.

So I guess then this really isn’t...

Fini

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Thank you all for reading my stories, without readers they're just words on a page. I've been very honored by y'all's patronage and friendship. I love SS and I love you all. *bows*

*walks off the stage, the curtain falls, and turns off the lights*