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Author: ProfAndrews Story: The Last Act of Nobility Rating: Young Teens Status: Completed Reviews: 35 Words: 2,043 Her name was Kathleen. She stood fairly tall for her young age of nineteen. She had striking blue eyes and the darkest, most unmanageable hair of all her siblings. Living alone in a two-bedroom house outside of Hogsmeade, she worked as a Ministry of Magic consultant on Muggle Relations. She had successfully finished at Hogwarts one year earlier than most students, doubling her efforts to prepare her for a moment like this. Unlike her siblings who had families of their own, she volunteered herself for the responsibilities of caring for her grandfather. He was terminally ill, suffering from a Muggle disease known as Alzheimers. It arose due to the Muggle blood that flowed through his veins. It was rare that a wizard would contract a Muggle disease, but the family lineage that was Muggle-born was stronger than any magic known to exist. His days had progressed in a downward spiral since Kathleen took on her new tasks. What pained her most was her grandfather's inability to recognize his "fairy" -- a nickname he gave her on the day she was born. Her grandfather would spend many days looking absently out a window in his bedroom without the faintest hint or blink of awareness. Kathleen knew he was no longer there in spirit. She had only to wait 'til the body chose its finality. Often, she chose to sit in a chair behind him. She wondered if there still was thought that processed in his mind. Reading from books, she acknowledged that those thoughts would be jumbled, but somehow still focused on one person: his wife. Kathleen's grandmother had passed away one year prior. He lost hope upon her passing. The rest of the family gave up hope on him when he finally succumbed to the debilities of the illness. Kathleen never minded having to bathe his frail form, nor having to clean up after he soiled himself. A quick Scourgify spell would take care of anything left behind. What she worried most about was his dignity. He had been considered by most as the greatest wizard of the later twentieth century after his defeat of an evil wizard. His heroics were studied in every wizarding school around the world. Those were the memories he would leave to those who would want to follow in his footsteps. To Kathleen, however, he was "Gramps." He had given her the first broom she ever rode. He always came to Hogwarts to watch each Quidditch match that she played in as Seeker. Right there sitting next to the headmaster was her grandfather, dressed in her house colors of Gryffindor. And when she would catch the Snitch, he was always the first to stand and explode into applause. Kathleen admired him for his heroics, but loved him so much for just being her Gramps. Oftentimes, she would pull out a photo album and share those pictures of him on his own broom catching the Snitch during his school days. Sometimes, it would cause him to react and touch the picture before he would stare away again. Earlier yesterday, the doctor had been by to visit. Gramps no longer was eating or drinking liquids. His body was ransacked with bruises from his vitamin deficiency. He was dehydrated from the fluids that were quickly depositing themselves out of his body. Today, he was covered by an unusual cold sweat. Kathleen had been up to check up him early in the morning. Upon placing her lips on his forehead, she tasted death approaching for the first time. It was only a matter of time, as the doctor concurred. The rest of the family wanted to come by her home, but Kathleen refused. "Remember him the way he was," she would tell them. She wanted to keep her grandfather's spirit strong in everyone's hearts. To see the reaction on her family's face of this once strong man, now a feeble individual, would hurt his dignity more than anything her family could tell her, she thought. Kathleen knew this and chose to honor Gramps with this final, unspoken request. Their secret would be theirs forever. Kathleen knew that the man who sat in his favorite chair for the remaining hours of his life no longer held the spirit she loved. It had departed and joined his wife a long time before. * * * * * As day turned to night, his thoughts did become clearer. He had remembered fondly on his days at school and the Great War that ended before he left Hogwarts. He remembered the weddings of his school friends, and the class reunion some twenty years later. But most importantly he remembered his wife. She had the reddest hair he had ever seen. Her pale skin was smooth and silky to the touch. Her freckles only heightened her beauty immensely. She was both fierce and feminine, and he loved her like no other. He had learned to know love through the gaze in her eyes. One look could make him melt as snow in springtime. His victory became an engagement party the day the war ended. They would marry one year later and have three wonderful children. Kathleen's mother looked like her grandmother -- a perfect image in appearance and spirit. Kathleen did not get her mother's looks, but was damned sure that she would make due with that fighting spirit. He recalled the day he first held Kathleen in his arms. She would be the last grandchild -- and the most like him. She was his beautiful fairy, because of the miracle she bestowed when his daughter learned that she could not have any more children. Kathleen was born for a purpose... the only purpose he damned himself for. She was far better than to be his caregiver, and as much as he wanted to tell her not to take on the task, he could not find the strength to speak those words aloud. * * * * * Kathleen pulled up a chair and sat next to her grandfather. The stars that they had each studied while at school shone brightly above. She took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. She hummed a tune that her grandmother taught her, which she would sing to her husband to ease his bad dreams. Kathleen hoped that her grandmother was watching. Slowly Gramps turned his head towards Kathleen. His lips were partly opened, dribbling saliva onto his nightshirt. Kathleen turned to meet him. She always kept a towel nearby. She dried him and then stroked his cheek lovingly. He would blink at her. "You're welcome, Gramps," she would reply. This was how they communicated. She had learned a new language throughout their time together. It always gave her hope that somewhere he was still close by. He turned back to look out the window. They sat in silence for a few minutes longer. She held her breath to listen to him. His breathing became shallow. She turned and saw his face covered in sweat again. Then she realized what was happening. He was fighting... for her. Kathleen had begged him not to leave her alone, but now she saw the agony in his face. She had not been ready to lose her Gramps yet. After all these months, he was still fighting one more battle -- this time for his granddaughter. She was prouder of him than she had ever been... but she was also angry. Kathleen would have had to slam her hand in a window to begin to cause herself as much pain as her grandfather had been suffering. Some mornings she would find his jaw locked, his teeth biting down hard. It would take all her strength to pry his mouth open. Then, she would have to Transfigure a piece of parchment into a rubber mold to keep his mouth open. Otherwise, he would draw blood from his bite. She regretted doing this, but had no choice. There was no handbook on taking care of a person afflicted with Alzheimers, no set course, and no previous examples in her family. As all the books stated, it really was different with each individual. However, for a small period of time, she had done the impossible: she had made him learn again! He began to speak briefly, feed himself and even express his thoughts more clearly. She had done it with love and patience. Kathleen would play songs on a piano and have him sing with her. Sometimes he would forget the words, but held his own. On her nineteenth birthday he surprised her by singing Happy Birthday. It was the greatest gift of all... and he kept on giving. He gave Kathleen a few more months of his life to spend together. He wanted to teach her one more lesson about life, and she learned it brilliantly. She was now a woman who understood better than most the difference between life and death. Kathleen would be eternally grateful for what Gramps had done for her. Gramps turned to face Kathleen once more. Tears rolled down his cheeks. She gently brushed them away, then leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "It's okay, Gramps. I'll be all right, I promise. Tell Gran I love her... I miss her," she whispered. More tears flowed down his reddened cheeks. "Gramps, I promise you with all my heart that I'll be fine. I have your love for me in here and it will last throughout eternity and beyond. It's okay. You need your rest. Go with Gran now. Go be with your beloved once more." He gave Kathleen a small smile and then leaned in to meet her touch. Kathleen turned her body in the chair and rested her forehead upon his. She wrapped her arms around him and embraced him tightly. He smiled wider as he grew quiet, no longer suffering anymore. "Thank you, Gramps. Thank you for my new life." * * * * * Five days later, he was celebrated. Memorials were given by family and friends, the most emotional from her Great-Uncle Ron. He spoke fondly of their adventures through childhood, and then of reaching the point when they could sit on a porch and watch their grandchildren play in the garden. Her great-uncle broke down in sobs when he spoke his final words: "See you, mate." Her Great-Aunt Hermione wrapped her arms around her husband and walked him away when he refused to leave the casket's side. Thousands came to pay their respects to their hero. Others knew him as just another wizard, and Gramps was thankful to them for treating him like a real person. Kathleen was thrilled by the turnout. Gramps had always preferred his privacy, but she knew he would secretly be excited by the turnout as well. One by one they all departed after paying their final respects. Kathleen was the last to stay behind. There was no turning back for her. She had promised him that she would be all right, and intended to fulfill that promise. She would use her grandfather's final lesson to become successful in her later years, but for right now she only knew to shed a few more tears before placing a lingering kiss upon the casket. Kathleen turned and walked away, looking forward forever. Two weeks later, Kathleen's sleep took her to her precious Hogwarts. Standing before the lake, she could see her grandparents looking young once more. They held each others' hands and watched their granddaughter in return. "Thank you, my beautiful fairy," Gramps said. Gran blew her a kiss and mouthed words of love. Harry and Ginny Potter then turned and walked around the lake at Hogwarts one more time. Kathleen opened her tear-filled eyes, smiled and looked upwards past the ceiling and into the heavens. "I love you too." A/N: This tale is dedicated to the lives and love of my grandparents, who unselfishly taught me through their own horrific ordeals the lessons I needed to prepare me for adulthood. Magnolia Mama is not only my beta, but more importantly my writing angel. She has become my voice of clarity by identifying and piecing together those jumbled thoughts I try to express. Thank you, thank you MM for everything!!! |