TBAY: Avery, Snape, Florence and a little bit of Neville

[amy_marblefeet]

No: HPFGUIDX 78428

Amy was still on the beach surrounded by driftwood trying to comfort 
poor Avery. No one seemed very interested in him, not after OotP, not 
after the Fourth Man HoverCraft had been blown to pieces by the 
brother-in-law of that dead sexy Mrs Lestrange.

"It could be worse Avery, it really could have been."  Amy 
sighed.  "Look at me, I had this whole "Sirius Black is Ever So Evil" 
plot twist all written out in my head.  I was convinced he was going 
to be the one who would betray the side of light and that it wouldn't 
be discovered until to late in book seven.  And what does he do, 
Sirius goes and kicks the bucket, or rather passes through the black 
veil.  In fact I may just post it up in off-topic as I have it all 
written out anyway."  Avery didn't look at all impressed at Amy's 
attempt at empathy and turned away sulkily.  He began muttering 
something about useless theorising and giving secondary characters 
false hope for future books.

"Let's get back to you and this Hover Craft though." Amy said 
cheerfully, ignoring the dark looks from Avery.  "The news really 
isn't as bad as it seems you know.  There is the fact that you still 
exist unlike that dead sexy "Florence Lestrange".  And, Avery, I do 
have some very good news for you, in fact.  The main founding cannon 
for you ship seems to be very well intact."

Avery looked confused and wrinkled his nose.

"Look I'll show you," Amy stood up and walked down the beach a little 
way bent down and began to drag a cannon back to where Avery still 
sat, head in hands.  There was a long piece of parchment attached and 
Amy quickly scanned down it.  "Ah ha! Here we go."

Elkins in message 35062
>So.  JKR *wants* us to notice Avery. She wants him to be rooted in 
our minds. And yet -- and this is >an important point, so you there 
in the back: pay attention! -- she never actually shows us his 
*face.*  >He is masked in the graveyard scene, and no hint is even 
given as to his overall body type. We -- or, >more to the point, 
*Harry* -- would be able to walk right past him on the street and not 
recognise >him.

"This, " Amy exclaimed, "this is the main cannon point that allowed 
you to became the fourth man in the first place.  We do not know what 
you look like, what your voice (when you are not screaming in terror 
that is) sounds like nor your general body shape.  You could be 
anyone we have met or heard of in cannon or at least heard of."

"So what if you are not the fourth man, cannon was shaky on that 
point anyway.  As far as I can see the whole thing depend on the 
bleeding hearts of the wizarding world to set you free after Crouch 
had fallen from power and some of his old cases were re-examined."

<Amy snorted>

"The same bleeding heart nation that has produced Granny Longbottem.  
The woman who tells her own grandson to be proud of his parents and 
probably hopes that Neville will avenge their state of existence

"But lets look at what you actually do in OoP," Amy said brightly.  
Avery tried to turn away to continued to sulk but Amy grabbed his 
arm.  With a flourish Amy produced the huge book from a tiny pocket 
and flipped it open to page 516.  "Here we go.  I'm not sure if you 
are mentioned anywhere else in cannon but this was the only canon I 
remember:

***

"Avery told me Bode would be able to remove it" (Harry-mort)
...
"Very well...you may go.  Send Avery to me." (Harry-mort)
...
"No - everyone's fine -" gasped Harry, whose forehead felt as though 
it were on fire.  "Well ...Avery isn't...he's in trouble.. he gave 
the wrong information...Voldemorts really angry."
...
Harry's scar began to burn; he bit hard on his pillow to stop himself 
making a noise.  Somewhere he knew Avery was being punished.

***

"You are the one who Voldemort listens to when you say that Bode can 
collect the prophecy when being controlled by Malfoy.  You clearly 
know where and how the prophecies are kept in the Department of 
Mysteries but do not know that only those whom the prophecy concerns 
can pick it up. It is very convenient however Harry-mort decides to 
take a quick peak in the mirror and real!Harry wakes up before you 
actually come to your master.  But Harry knows that you are being 
tortured Avery.

"I am getting very suspicious of your "almost" appearing act.  I 
don't think you turn up in the end battle, you might be there you 
might not cannon is unclear.  There were about 12 death eaters but 
only four are mentioned: Mr Malfoy, Mrs Lestrange, Dolohov and 
McNair.  You are not mentioned, no one calls your name or points you 
out.  Harry is rather more concerned with Bella for the whole battle, 
even before she does any killing.  I can smell a very twisted little 
crush from here, she is dead sexy after all."

"That however is all in the past and we need to find a new purpose 
for you in future books.  There was enough cannon to ensure you are 
an important character.  At least one containing an important bit of 
information for plot twist reasons anyway.  You are pointed out 
specifically in books four and five.  What we need is something to 
connect you to the plot...or someone."

Amy looked up the bay and Avery followed her gaze.  Suddenly his face 
darkened.  He looked sullenly up to the bay where their eyes alighted 
on the tavern, George's tavern.

"I know, I know, I think George is becoming a little too smug about 
the fact that his pub is still standing as well."  Amy sighed.  "It's 
true that there was very good odds that his bar would be crushed by 
Hurricane Jo and Cindy would chase George out of the bay with her Big 
Paddle(TM) but amazingly he survived.  Not a hope for the future 
books though.  Especially if, sorry I mean when, you turn up again.

"You see I have this theory that our dear Severus is going to do 
something terrible in the next book.  He is going to do something gut 
wrenchingly, vomit inducing-ly vile; but it wont even make him 
blink.  And I think what ever Snape does is going to sicken Harry to 
his very soul and force Snape to have the conversation to him about 
the terrible things people do in war for the greater good.  I can see 
a scene where Snape forces information from some captured Death Eater 
by torture and shows just what a truly awful Death Eater he used to 
be.  This heinous act...well...it will be to you."

Avery looked absolutely terrified.  Snape after him.  The Snape after 
him.  Avery swallowed, sure Snape wasn't much good in an ambush, that 
was clear from school, but give him an inch...  Where have we seen a 
competent Snape: in the Duelling Club, at the shrieking shack. Both 
of which scenes he has the upper hand.  Sure Snape might have grown 
out of being bested by a couple of stuck up Gryfindors but really sit 
someone down in front of him and he could probably do something much 
worse than what happened to the Longbottems.  And I'm not talking 
about Avada Kedavera people.

Avery looks wildly around almost expecting Snape to ambush him there 
and then.

"Which means I had better go and visit the tavern properly before 
book seven comes out.  I would have dragged you in there already but 
I'm not sure of the licensing laws of fictional areas and I left my 
fake id in my other trousers."

Amy seemed to realise that Avery's knuckles that were half buried in 
the sand were not usually that white and put a reassuring hand on his 
shoulder.

"No, well perhaps we will give you another role.  No one seems that 
bothered with you, but I have a feeling that you might become 
important in the future.  And as long as no one is around to argue I 
can spin theories and no one shall disturb me by pointing out gapping 
holes in my theory and flinging around those yellow flags."  Avery 
looked around hoping that Amy was not about to theorise any more 
torture for him.  

"I think we should try and pin another character for you to be.  
Someone who we have heard of before someone who doesn't have a name 
but does have a role.  Someone who we haven't even met but has had 
theorists convinced of their importance in the plot stories of the 
future.  Someone who has received more speculation than that sudden 
movement or god damm gleam."  Amy smirked and pulled out her 
wand.  "Accio cannon."

A large cannon was flying through the air.  Avery, alarmed, dived for 
cover but Amy sat there in silence as the canon landed with a soft 
phwomf on the sand.

***

"He put a hex on me Professor Dumbledore, and I was only teasing him, 
sir, I only said I'd seen him kissing Florence behind the greenhouses 
last Thursday..."

**

"Lets have a look at the facts shall we - this wont take long as 
there are shockingly few concerning you or the mysterious Florence.  
We know you were in Slytherin and most probably a pureblood, or at 
least a halfblood, and you hung out in a gang of other Slytherins.  
It is not stated what house Florence is but for this theory let's say 
she did not reside in the mighty house of the snake.  You had a crush 
on her, didn't you Avery.  Of course your relationship had to be kept 
completely secret but you did meet behind the greenhouses for some 
secret meetings, you are a sneaky little Slytherin after all.

"Dumbledore, being the all knowing headmaster at the time, was 
overjoyed to see a Slytherin forming a "friendship" with anyone 
outside their own house.  Unfortunately Bertha followed you one day, 
even if she didn't and just put two and two together, she began to 
tease you didn't she.  This was a problem, you did not want to be 
seen as breaking away from the group.  You did not want to be seen to 
have a crush on someone from out side your own house or, Merlin 
forbid, a muggleborn.  Being a Slytherin you had to shut this wide 
mouthed girl up, but you didn't succeed did you

"Yup, it was definitely you behind those greenhouses.  At least I 
always had my doubts about it being Severus or Sirius.  The trouble 
was that was the end of the relationship and you submersed yourself 
in dark dealings with the rest of the Slytherins.  You had to 
convince those who you shared a dorm with that you wanted nothing to 
do with those other houses.  Florence wanted you back of course, 
perhaps being a brave Gryffindor and all but you, being a cowardly 
Slytherin, wanted nothing more to do with the poor girl and just 
wanted a quiet life with the Slytherins.  In fact there was this guy 
going about that all your "friends" seemed interested in joining.  He 
seemed all right and he would offer you the chance to show the rest 
of the house just how loyal you were to them rather than that muggle 
lover Dumbledore.  What was his name again?  Lord Something?

"Poor Avery, you're not exactly tough and steely are you." 

I also noticed back in the fourth man post 38342 this little idea;

>7) Backstabbing Fourth Man:
>Now. How do you think the Longbottom's Cruciators were caught, huh? 
Ahhh, that's right. Clever >Grownup. Got it in one. Avery pulled a 
Pettigrew. He turned them in. That's how he got off light, you 
>understand. Cut a deal with the Ministry.

Now this could work with the smallest amount of tweeking.  Avery 
fingers the pensieve four and gets off as he being the small fish 
helping catch the big ones.  We do know that he wormed his way out of 
trouble after all and lets face it Mrs Lestrange is a pretty big fish.

"Things could be a whole lot worse.  I wasn't around when the great 
memory charm symposium took place.  I did take a time turner and have 
a look back at it though.  Somewhere near the back.  Unfortunately it 
now looks to me that Neville has had no memory charm and just lacks 
confidence.  Now it looks like that Neville could turn out to be 
tough and steely after all."

 Avery still did not look very happy.  Amy sighed, he did look a 
little better than when she first sat down but then again she had 
suggested that Snape was after him and that was enough for anyone to 
consider their mortality.  Perhaps Avery never was truly happy, ever 
and just tended to sulk.  No wonder thought Amy as she looked over 
the broken hovercraft.  "You know Avery, we might have enough for a 
kayak.  We might just.  Looks like it will be just me and you though."

Amy sighed and pulled out a second bit of parchment and taped it to 
one of the larger pieces of debris.  A description of Avery after the 
first downfall of Voldemort:

>Elkins message 35062

>Traumatised, twitchy, and Having Had Quite Enough Of *That*, Thank 
You Very Much, Avery then >goes home to live in his mother's 
basement, where he takes up coin-collecting. He never pursues a 
>visible or prestigious career, stays as far away from the public eye 
as he can manage, and whenever >he gets an owl from one of his old DE 
comrades, scrawls "Return To Sender" hastily onto the outside >of the 
envelope and owls it right back unopened.

>More to the point, he never makes the slightest effort to seek out 
Voldemort. Like I said, Avery Has >Had Enough.

Amy
who did not mean for this post to be so long but the soft spot, or 
rather, the dark and cobwebed corner of her mind for Avery may be a 
might larger than she first appreciated


~*~
"Dad has always had a soft spot for Muggles," said George
"Yeah, a soft spot in his head," replied Fred.