Jasper Jonathan Otterburn

[Leif]

jasper jonathan otterburn,

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"Now I'm home, but I cannot stay
I dream of you every day
Got to know every inch of you
Will you make my dream come true? "

cheated by the opposite of love[/b][/size]
H E L D - O N - H I G H - F R O M - U P - U P - U P - A B O V E ![/SIZE][/center]

name:

Jasper Jonathan Otterburn.

nicknames:

• Jasp – He called himself this as a kid.
  
• Jast – A childhood friend called him it, and it stuck a bit.
  
• Jay – Used by some friends and family members. Commonly used by Pierce Murtagh when referring to him. Jay is his professional name.
  
• Jazz – The most common nickname he has.
  
• Jas/Jass – The most common nickname he has as well, spelled differently.

age:

• Born: September, 1 2006 at 12:01 am.
  
• Age: Sixteen.

year:

Fifth year

house:

Ravenclaw.

gender:

Male.

sexuality:

Heterosexual. He doesn't view the others as wrong. He's a bit curious.

affiliation:

Unknown.

blood status:

Half-blood. Son of a pure-blood and a half-blood.

playby:

Alexander Rybak

got my high from the second one

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height:

Five feet and four inches.

weight:

Hundred and twelve pounds.

build:

He is petite, small and shorter than most guys his age.

hair:

Jasper’s hair is like the males in his family, wavy-straight hair that is manageable. He has shiny dark brown hair that is of a considerable length. His hair is long, but, not too long. It has never gone down to the bottom of his ears, it's always been higher. He strongly prefers his hair as flat and down crossing his forehead and covering his ears. It's groomed and combed down and is kept out of his eyes by a simple sweep away from covering his eyes. His hair is not a bowl cut and doesn't look like it, but, it does have the messy look, the kind that's intended.

eyes:

Jasper’s has large eyes that are dark colored. His eyes pop out almost as much as his smile when one looks at his face. His eyes are of the most common color in the world along with his hair: Brown. His eyes are rounded and the irises although dark brown are big and he doesn’t have a lot of white showing. The brown fades in very well with the black center and sometimes in the lightning conditions it can be hard to the pupil and iris apart.

piercings:

Piercings? Why? Where would they be? Belly button? He’s a boy, silly female readers. Nope, nothing downstairs too.

tattoos:

Do rub-ons count?

distinguishing features:

Jasper has no tattoos or piercings on his skin at all and he has no intention of getting any when he grows older not only because that it could risk his health or being too young, he doesn't find them pleasing on himself. He's tried the rub-on tattoos and never really liked them, unless if a friend pushes for one. But, when it comes to scars he does have three main scars on his body all on his chest. He has a large incision across the sternum of his chest due to a past surgery he had. At the bottom of his sternum just about three and a half inches above his belly button he has two other scars from large tubes that were in his chest for a short while. The scar is fading, but, it will be forever marked on his body.

style:

When it comes to clothing style there is one thing that Jasper cares about over all else: comfort. He wants comfortable clothes and he's strong for comfortable clothes. If a pair of pants or a shirt he gets is extremely itchy or irritates his skin he would never wear it again no matter the circumstance, he'd rather to wear the ugliest shirt in the world than wearing a gorgeous looking one that would cause his skin to break out. Outside of wearing well-fitting Hogwarts school robes when he's able to wear other clothes he prefers jeans or comfortable t-shirts that cover up most of his weak central biceps.

He is a self-conscious person, but, not when it comes to his clothes as much as he prefers comfort. He will wear buttoned up shirts that do expose a bit of his chest sometimes the tip of his scar if he's leaning the right way. He's not a fan of hats, but he does love ties. He has a collection of suits at his exposal, most of them are vests. He doesn't exactly always wear dress pants when it comes to the vests or dress shirts, he's simply fine with getting by with jeans, shirt, and the vest. He cares very little about color in his wardrobe and he would wear purple with gray and white even if it doesn't exactly match just because he's comfortable in it.

He has a large collection of clothes and doesn't get rid of them easily. He does have an arsenal of hand-me-downs from his older brothers such as a Disney shirt that's well faded and still a bit too big for him.

take these rings & stow them

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likes:

» Violin – He's quite gifted with the violin, there's no question to anyone about his gift with the violin. He's incredibly talented when it comes to the violin and he can play with great passion and emotion behind the music. He views it as fun and as a gift he was given. The violin takes up a majority of his free time, not because of pressure to be great in it from family... But, because he wants to be the very best. He finds it amusing, a great time to blow off time or esteem.
» Family – Family is of extreme importance to the young Jasper. He loves his family with all of his heart, it is all he has ever known. His family isn't exactly a nuclear family as his parents have never been "officially" married. In fact in his own views his family is just as normal as anyone else’s, and he sees everyone else with a family different as okay as well. He's completely himself with his family: talkative, outgoing, challenging, competitive.
» Healthy – Health is a very large issue to him and his entire family. He has suffered a lifelong struggle when it comes to his health. He loves when he is healthy and not feeling sick. Any day where he has minimal pain without being sick is a wonderfully good day for him. The aspect of just being healthy and having a chance to live healthy in the clear brings great joy to him. He prides his health and is quite proud of it. Health means he has the freedom of being able to go out on his own without worrying over his sickness or steps.
» Life – Jasper has a great appreciation for life in it's entirety. He respects intelligent life of all sorts and even lives of most animals (don't ask him about bugs). He loves to live day to day in a world with endless opportunities. He dreams big in hopes one day for more life greater than what he is used to. He appreciates the beauty in life; he's willing to take a moment to stop and smell the roses. With the world being vast and endless and full of life he wants to explore it all with all the life he has in him. He loves the small moments that come with life, small memories that just build up over time to be looked back upon.
» Sports – A weak violinist kid that likes sports? Doesn't seem right... But, he loves sports. He loves muggle sports, wizaqrd sports, any sport at all. He loves watching games, rock climbing, trying to surf. He grew up in an active and athletic family. He was always inspired to try and keep up with his family even though he struggles in atheletics. He prefers watching over playing when he's tired out but he rarely says no to an invitation to join.

dislikes:

» Sickness – There's nothing that the teenage boy hates more than being sick. He hates any kind of sickness that strikes him down. He hates pain. He hates the flu. It really doesn't matter what he's sick with he simply hates it. He also dislikes people whom are sick to an extent because he doesn't want to get sick himself. He grew up spending a great deal of time in hospitals throughout his life and hence being sick has always been a part of his life he disliked. Others would love a sick day to stay reading a book, to sneak out with friends, or just to get out of a test or day they didn't want to go through. Not Jasper. It's plain and simple, he dislikes being sick... Unhealthy.
» Hospitals – Regardless of Jasper's health he has a great dislike of hospitals. He does respect hospitals in its entirety and greatly respects doctors, healers and nurses, mediwizards. But, being sick in his life he had always had a distaste and dislike of hospitals because he was usually the one in the hospital bed recovering from something. He would fight so he could avoid the hospitals and try to keep himself healthy. Hospitals just in general give him the creeps. The primary reason behind the dislike and distaste of hospitals is simply being sick. The hospitals are associated with it. He dislikes the food, having his hours restricted, having nurses and healers poking and prodding him nonstop and not being able to sleep... Somehow hospitals were always great at waking one up as soon as they fallen asleep.
» Pictures – Jasper is extremely self-conscious of himself. He's shy, not that outgoing in public and photography is a reflection of that. He's uncomfortable with the way he looks. He'd sometimes spend a great deal of time just staring at his clothes or his hair trying to get it just right. Even at times he does like how he looks he does get very uncomfortable having a photograph taken of him. He tries to battle it, but, he finds it hard. There's only a few times he ever can push past it and that's mainly when he's playing his violin as with the violin he feels everything simply falls away and he's in his own world. There are some photographs of him and he highly values them, but, he still has a dislike of getting his photo taken. In such example: the yearbook, he's extremely shy of the yearly picture and he doesn't like to get it done and has to be dragged. To get into photographs he usually has to be talked into joining in as he prefers to be the one taking the photo.
» Underestimated – Being underestimated sucks. He hates being underestimated, called stupid for how he treats someone like a queen or for his strange obsessions of random things. Though he is shy and self-conscious. Being underestimated causes liability to his grades and abilities as others wonder and pass him by thinking he simply would not be able to do it. Even if they were right that it's not within his abilities to do something he still dislikes being passed by just because someone says that. He hates and despises it when he's treated a level below what he really is: He finds it demeaning. There are advantages of being underestimated, but, the advantages don't outweigh the hurt it causes to Jasper. He's often underestimated because of his health.
» Bugs – Bugs are creepy and crawly and slimy. They cause him to shudder and halt in fear. He has a great dislike and fear of spiders and he would become frozen if he sees one just standing and staring at it begging another to kill it. He has little to no respect when it comes to most bugs. He cannot stand seeing them walking across the wall or on his bed. Outside he tries to avoid ants in fear that they'd bite him. But, mostly when it comes to bugs he's most afraid of ground bugs he cannot recognize, things that look like cockroaches, wasps, bees, and spiders. They make him extremely uncomfortable and he'd squirm about if he finds a bug on his skin spending a moment having to inspect and sweep off his entire body.

strengths:

» Motivated – Jasper is someone that follows his heart and his passion with all of his heart. Motivation is something that is behind a great deal of what his life is. He's motivated by his music, by his life, by his adventures, by his happiness. He doesn't need much encouragement to stay motivated and he could work through great boredom and duress in order to get something done. He can stand for hours reading a boring book just to get it done or to practice a piece to get it just right in an attempt to strive for perfection. He has great confidence in himself and it hence helps his motivation and makes it nearly borderline impulsive half the time. It his his greatest strength.
» Fearless – The teenager is fearless. Very few things will cause him to stand trapped in fear (minus creepy bugs). The few times he is scared of trying something new he tries his best to push through it to get past it and used to it the best he can. There was once a time he looked at the rock wall his dad has in fear, afraid to climb past the first few feet. Every time he did attempt to get so one of his older siblings or father pulled him off thinking it'd be too dangerous for him. He kept at it and made it to the top one day, on his own. Since that day he overcame most of his fears. And due to his surgeries he's been faced with the concept of death often, being a sick person waiting for a heart transplant to replace his heart that has failed too much: He learned to overcome his fear of death to simply accept it as a part of life.
» Optimistic – On the most part Jasper is an optimistic person. He has the world at his fingertips and he knows he does. His family has taken great care in raising him to give him the mind state that he could do anything without worrying about the downsides. He's always been an optimistic person always looking for the better side a simple reason to be happy. He takes great pride in simple life pleasures such as a cup of coffee. He has a positive affirmation on life, he believes all circumstances he can create and he can control his attitude towards life. He chooses to live by the positive side of life. There are times when he's not optimistic, but, he strives to be optimistic and it's becoming natural to him.

weaknesses:

» Trusting – Jasper is a trusting person. Very trusting. He takes people for their word for almost anything and believes in people. He gives a great benefit of the doubt to others. He can be led out of his path by others because his level of trust is so high to them. Others can take advantage of him without him really realizing it because he gives almost a blind trust to them. He does question trust sometimes, but, he's quick to forgive. Often time’s things have to be blatantly obvious to make him lose his trust or otherwise he could stand all day waiting for someone or something just out of trust.
» Indignant – There is no doubt that Jasper shows his emotions. He puts great value in his emotions as well and he tries to hide form them. But, he's indignant: He shows his emotions, his angers, his hostilities. He cannot hide his emotions easily. If he's mad it's easily visible by the way he reacts and by reading his face; it's the same when it comes to sadness and happiness. It mostly focuses on his negative emotions as he cannot keep them to himself and will lash back out in anger by possibly pounding his fist. If things get too hard for him he bails and hides.
» Health – The failing health of Jasper has been his lifelong biggest issue and weakness. It holds him back and he knows it does. The weakness of his heart stops him from being extremely active and keeping up with other people his age in activity. If dropped off in the middle of a thick forest without his wand he probably would never be able to get out due to his health would leave him unable to run at great speeds to escape from obstacles and him being used to some weather and being protected from the outside world. He's been greatly protected from the outside world, physical activity, hence, keeping his ability at it hindered. For example he struggles with running and running is not exactly encouraged for him. His health is looking up on the upside now, but, it is still a major issue that comes into discussion a lot when it comes to his future. It creates worry if he could get through something or not. With a weaker immune system he can fall down getting sick more easily than others. His health will always be seen as a weakness as something he has to fight and endeavor through.

fears:

Jasper is most afraid of death, by far above anything else. He doesn't fear many things... But, death is one. He doesn't fear his own death, he just fears the death of anyone but himself. He hates the aspect of it. He's afraid to see another die, but yet is not afraid to die himself. He's also afraid he'd never amount to anything and die before his time.

secrets:

He's pretty much an open book, so his deepest secret isn't really that deep of a secret: He's unsure about his middle name, but, deals with it. Also, once, he really hasn't told others about this: During his last surgery he felt so horrible after it he wished he'd just die and didn't think positively.

dreams:

He desires to be perfectly healthy so he could keep up with his siblings and others. His biggest part of this is simply athletic. He'd love to be able to keep up with his brothers and sisters when it comes to sports and compete with them without having them slow down just for him. He dreams of growing up to be somebody.

quirks:

» Jasper taps his foot when he's waiting or impatient.
» He can get extremely repetitive when asking questions.
» He sings when he's in the shower... And doesn't regret it.
» He chews on muggle pens, pencils, etc... But not quills because the feather feels weird.
» He's obsessive over his violin and keeping them polished and presentable.
» He gets obsessive over the most random of things.
» His tongue tends to stick out when he's deep in thought.
» He dances when he thinks nobody is looking.
» He can be gullible and is very trusting of others.
» He can be easily manipulated to drop off notes, and do simple things that don't seem hard to him just by being asked.

personality:

Simply put Jasper Jonathan Otterburn is a young man with a deep and soft personality. He cares and has a great appreciation for the world around him loving the small details that make up the larger picture. He sees the world not as a large picture in the final results, he sees the bits and pieces and how they merge and work together to create the larger picture. It allows him a finer appreciation of the small things in life and it creates his optimistic attitude. He tries his best to be positive, to count the good things in life, the happy moments to greatly outweigh anything else.

He's a sensitive person that holds his emotions close to him and follows his heart above all else. He maybe be courageous and brave, but, what matters more to him is his curiosity of the world and the people around him. He loves people and their stories. He's greatly sympathetic to others. He may be a young person, but, he has a lot of wisdom in his head as he's an experienced person and a well-read person because of the influences he had in his life and his appreciation of the finer things. He's willing to slow down to smell the roses or simply spending a weekend day away reading a book everyone calls boring just because he wants to read it just to say he has done so.

He's very proud of his achievements. They mean an incredible amount to him. He's proud of what he does and he tries his best to keep himself proud of his goals and achievements. He's naturally gifted at the violin, so gifted that he's called a prodigy and has been for years. He's performed on stages and has very little stage fright as he loves the performance and the adrenaline the moment creates that pumps through his veins. He feels his heart pounding and makes him proud that he's in good enough health to play. He tries his best not to let his health get to him, to bring him down at all. Which is a tad of a contradiction considering how self-conscious he is. But, he always prefers comfort and with the violin it is a comfort to him. He’s quite content with the fame he has gotten, and he loves it while he also despises the attention.

When it comes to the ladies, as he's straight and he's pretty damn sure about that: He's a hopeful romantic. He'd treat his future love like a queen even if others are against it. When it comes to his friends and family they are everything to him. Mainly his family: He loves his family more than anything in the world. He's talkative to those he loves: friends and family. He's much more outgoing and free with people he trusts and loves. But, sitting in class or with a stranger he's awkwardly quiet and shies away from others and speaks very softly to them... Except when he's performing everything in the world seems to drop and fade away. He loves performing and playing his violin, it places him in his own world, a world where he reigns supreme free and he's happy and content with himself.

He views his gift at the violin as something of great value, something he wouldn't trade for anything in the world. It's his escape, his own pathway, and that's all that matters to him when it comes to the violin. He takes great care of it and his wand and is careful that both remain in great condition. He believes in his gift and is constantly practicing it to keep it at a level of perfection. He's a perfectionist when it comes to some things and playing the violin is something he feels has to be perfect. He believes it has to have great feeling, fun, and perfection behind it. He's not simply attached to the time age classics when it comes to the violin; he's willing to try other things out, pluck it, or turn it into a faster tempo to match modern pop. He views his medical weakness and the loss of his original heart as a tax he had to pay for his gift. It was a tax he was glad to give.

The teenager takes great care of his possessions. His room is very clean, his bed is usually made. His wand and violin are polished and cleaned often. Cleaning is a bit obsessive with him, but, not an OCD or perfectionist level. It's just he dislikes when his things fall apart which in turn costs him more to get it replaced. He hates getting things replaced and will hold onto things for a long time: Even including old clothes until they don't fit him anymore.

Jasper for the most part is a smart and clever young man with great wisdom behind his choices and words. He's not afraid to take attempts at new things, in fact: he's fearless. He knows what it's like to be dying and nothing seems to compare to that. He goes after what he wants, and is willing to go on adventures and appreciate things even if he cannot have or do them: Such as competitive sports. He's a competitive person with his brothers and academically. He fights for competition in grades. He would love to be athletic, it's a deep desire for him.

Known to his family and his friends is a fact that he cannot lie very well. He gives a sly crooked smile and his nose crinkles when he lies. When he's not saying anything it's easy to get him to talk by rubbing his ears as he's extremely ticklish and could roll up in a ball. When he's laughing his guard is completely down and he's talkative when his guard is down as it has the same effect as him trusting someone: His guard is down. He does tend to use strange terms to describe things at times, but, they're for the most part understandable. Such as "They call me stupid for treating him nice and they treat me just like a squirrel." It's usually in reference to something in his past.

He has very good hearing and can hear pitches very well. He hates when people talk about him in front of him or within his ear-shot range and don't include him into it. For example: Healers/doctors talking to his parents. He hates it and he wants them to talk to him directly.

All in all Jasper is pure in heart, a kind, sweet young boy with a soft personality. He worries about others before himself. Everyone else is before him. He shows signs of a true Ravenclaw by being competitive, creative, and showing great wit and skill. He shows passion for his work.

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i'm taka-taka-taka-taking it off

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nationalities:

Jasper is a British and Czech Republic citizen, with one British parent and one Czech parent. His father is Welsh, his mother is Czech. He can speak Czech, some Romani, and Russian as well as English. English is not his first language. He knows enough German and Welsh to understand what’s being said, but not enough to carry a full conversation. His first language was Czech, Russian was his second, his third was English.

birthplace:

Old Town, České Budějovice, Česká republika (Czech Republic).

hometown:

Until age nine he grew up in the Czech Republic in Old Town České Budějovice, he moved to a small town in Wales for a few years. Currently lives in an estate on the Southern Welsh coast owned by his father, Jonathan Everett. The estate is unplottable.

father:

Jonathan Isaac Everett, fifty-three, businessman, pure-blood.

mother:

Eliška (Elizabeth) Dominika Otterburn, thirty-four, deceased, half-blood.

step mother:

Grace Cassandra Everett, fifty, homemaker, pure-blood.[/red]

siblings:

» brother: Jonathan Isaac Everett Jr, thirty-three, pure-blood
» sister: Evelyn Everett, twenty-seven, pure-blood
» brother: Blake Anthony Everett, twenty-four, pure-blood

pets:

He has a male boreal owl named Johnny.

history:

the family from Jasper's point of view | the family from his half-siblings point of view

Arranged marriage. It was a strange thing for Jonathan Isaac Everett to fathom. He couldn’t even begin to imagine wanting an arranged marriage. Why would he want to marry someone he barely knew? Someone his parents, Olivia and Blake Everett wouldn’t even bother to tell him. It was a chilly spring day back in April 1988 when the two finally met, where Jonathan had finally met his future wife. He struck a deal with his mother, bypassing his father completely. He would give the mystery woman a shot… Actually try and if he didn’t like her he’d leave the country and start anew.

Grace Cassandra Winslo couldn’t even fathom the idea of a marriage herself. She was only sixteen and a half. Why would she want to be married off? She was only a teenager, she wanted to date boys, stare at them, and gossip with her friends. But, Doyle Winslo, her father would hear no argument and strong armed his daughter into meeting the boy she was to marry. She went, reluctantly to her first date. She sat at a table, waiting for her date to come, but she had no idea who to expect. She felt as if she had been stood up after realizing her date had not arrived. A man sat next to her, asking if he could take the seat. They began small talk and both of them decided to make something of a night of which both believed they were stood up. That was one of the complications of a blind date… One had no idea whom they were supposed to meet.

But, with luck to strike behind it. The man that had joined her, Jonathan, the very Jonathan Everett she was arranged to marry. Being arranged to marry was still terrifying to both of them and thus they decided to take things slow. After several months of dating they announced an engagement on their first anniversary. Much to the disappointment to their parents, they had their first pregnancy out of wedlock… The child was born, a boy and he was named Jonathan Isaac Everett Jr. The two decided to have a Christmas wedding, the day of Christmas as it was Grace’s favorite holiday. The two were married on December 25, 1990. The wedding was attended by their few month old son.

Life went well with the couple, their son grew up to be a toddler. Jonathan’s life turned around and he began working for his father’s business. In the year of 1996 they had their second child which was their first daughter. They were quite overjoyed to be having a daughter. Two kids, seemed perfect to them. The couple was overjoyed for the new baby. They were worried the gap of the years would be problematic for their children. She grew up healthy and to being a young toddler by the time they were expecting a third child. He was born in 1999 and they have decided to name the child after his grandfather, whom was sick at the time, and to honor him. Hence, Blake Everett was named.

A year had passed by, the couple were celebrating their tenth anniversary being married on Christmas day, year 2000. They survived longer than many marriages have, and they were happy. That was all that mattered to them. They had discussed having a fourth child, trying for another girl to even the genders out, but it was decided they were happy with their three children, Jonathan Jr, Evelyn, and Blake. They were a happy nuclear family. Jonathan’s work expanded, and his father got better and recovered. But, his father decided to send Jonathan out to travel more and hence he made trips across Europe frequently for business.

Year 2005 came around, fifteen years of being married were thrown out the window when Jonathan Everett had decided to sleep with the maid of the home he was staying at in the Czech Republic. She spoke some English, her accent was irresistible, she was young and he was just hitting his midlife crises, his middle-ages being 36 years old. After a few days of flirting constantly with the maid, he ended up sleeping with her on Christmas day in the year 2005… On the very day of his wedding anniversary. He didn’t tell the girl he was a very happily married man, he tucked his ring inside his suitcase for this trip. It wasn’t the first time he had cheated, but this time he had cheated was one of the more significant times. Eliška Dominika Otterburn was her name, he left the day after to go back home to his family. He left his maid, Eliška behind something more than a large housecleaning tip and his business card… He left her pregnant of which she did not find out until a few weeks later.

Eliška was terrified to be having a child. She was young, just still a teenager. How could she be having a child? How could she have been so stupid? She was questioning herself, and wondering how she got coaxed into it. She stared at herself in the mirror for days on end in her free time. She wondered how the child would be, what would it be like to have her own child. She was terrified. She didn’t know what to do and the fact she had to break the news to her parents. She was only seventeen years old. Seventeen and pregnant. It was the 2000s, it felt odd to be pregnant at such a young age. She would’ve gone back to school the next year, back to Durmstrang. She didn’t enjoy the school so much, it was a bit too dark for her tastes. After the holidays she returned to Durmstrang and finished out her year, her final year.

Months rolled by, and finally on the evening of August 31st, 2006 she was admitted to a local hospital in Old Town, České Budějovice. The labor lasted throughout the night, but Eliška was able to handle the pain. She was excited for her own child and was hoping for a boy. She had two nieces, she wanted a boy. She thought the timing of her child being born was perfect. Her nieces were born in 2004 and 2002 respectfully, two years between each of them and her child would make 2006. She fully intended on keeping her child even though she couldn’t afford him. Eliška lived at home, was a low paid cleaner. She begun working less to focus on her pregnancy.

To the family’s surprise, the child was born… The doctor announced it was a boy. The family cheered, everyone was overjoyed. Svetla, the oldest niece whom was four and a half years old asked if the baby boy was her baby brother. The family laughed and explained the concept of cousins to her. Nonetheless, she was a happy cousin. “Jasper… Jasper, English name, good is it not?” She asked her family. “His father is in him, I can feel it. But, he’s mine.” She was thrilled when her family pointed out he got her hair and eyes, brown and brown. He got her facial structure as well. He looked a great deal like his mother. “Jasper is an English boy, yes?” She asked her parents in a shaky voice while the drugs bogged her down. “I shall name him… My favorite English name, Jasper… Jonathan after his father, perhaps they’ll meet one day. But, I think… I think it will be best if he has… Our name. Yes?” She asked. Her father asked why not give the child his father’s last name, Everett. “He could be Jasper Jonathan Everett… But, than he has none of us. He’s our first boy. Hana can’t have more kids,” she spoke referring to her sister the mother of her two nieces.

She nodded her head, deciding and leaned forward to write the name down on the piece of paper. “Jasper Jonathan Otterburn is his name. He… We all will teach him what it is to be an Otterburn, right? Proud. Strong?” She was pleased with her choice. “One day, he will grow. To be big and strong like dad, he can carry our line on. He is Otterburn.” The family seemed to be fine with the child taking their last name, it was Eliška’s choice regardless. “Where is my Jasper? My heart… I want to hold him?” She asked for her son.

Her father spoke first, her daughter was now conscious and had not remembered what had happened to Jasper… The complications. “He’s fine, the doctors are running tests to be sure.” He lied, keeping the truth from her to only have his smack him behind his head. “Okay! Okay! Štěpánka! Geeze, don’t hit me woman! Honey… Eliška, our grandchild… Your son, something is wrong. The nurse say it is a heart issue, they say his heart is weak.”

After about a week Jasper Otterburn was released and ready to go home for the first time. Everyone in the family gathered to see their newest addition home. They were all proud to have a new addition to their household, they made ends meet. They took the baby to whatever doctor appointments he needed. They racked up debt, but a lot of it got waived due to their low income. Many months were hard, barely getting by.

The weak heart was always a wonder to his mother when she looked at her baby boy. The boy with the weak heart was a fighter. This was known. His grandfather bragged about his grandson to friends and told them how a boy with a hole in his heart and weak heart muscle is living. Eliška had agreed to go back to work a few hours each day, cleaning a prominent healer’s home. In exchange, the healer would give her the potions her son needed. Each night Jasper had to take down a potion as an infant to help keep him strong and to fight the odds. Eliška was sure her son would fight the odds, she was sure her son would grow up to be a healthy boy. She had faith the doctors could fix him.

With a weak heart his toddler hears weren’t effected much. He tried to keep up with his cousins. He tried to keep with everything around him. He was alert. He loved going with people, watching television. He laughed at everything. He was always a happy child, always had a boyish grin across his face. He disliked when his mother left home… Or even his grandparents. He wanted everyone o stay home. He cried when they cried. He fought when anyone left. He seemed to have abandonment issues for most of his toddler years, which was unusual because he was never abandoned, he was just extremely attached.

Jasper continued to grow up. When he was five years old he went with his mother to clean a home, because his babysitter fell through. He was a nosy kid, he loved to get into everything. He touched everything. He was overly curious and he had to be watched constantly. So the only option she had was to risk it and take her son, Jasper to work with her. Inside the home, Jasper slipped away after his nap on the couch and found a violin. He begun plucking the strings. He enjoyed plucking the strings. He gave a shrill each time a note played that he liked. He was having fun. The violin was old, much older than him. He simply listened to the sounds the violin made and kept going until he found a rhythm he liked and enjoyed. He kept playing the one rhythm, by plucking the strings. The owner of the home had returned early… Earlier than expected and did not know that a child would be in his living room.

The owner of the home stared at Jasper and stood to watch him play with the instrument. A smile crept across his face. Watching Jasper got interrupted by his mother, Eliška coming out and realizing what Jasper was doing. She begun apologizing profusely, saying she’d take no pay that day as an apology for her son’s actions. The man laughed, “Its fine. About time that old thing got some use. Take it home with you. The boy could do with some music in his life.” He knew how low paid Eliška was. He was her employer, he had seen her home once when his wife decided to drop off a holiday pie. A cramped and small home. He always tipped his maid well during the holidays, she somehow cleaned everything sparkling and he wondered how. Little did he know that she used magic to help. Eliška insisted on paying for the violin, somehow she would find a way. Her son was quite attached to it, she knew this. He was more focused on it than any of his toys he had with him and one of his toys were new. “Miss Otterburn, this violin is a gift to the young Mr. Otterburn, this is between me and him. Son, take it home.” He spoke, refusing the payment. He flashed a smile and turned around to grab his coat. “I’ll be off, wife should be at the airport.”

The boy practiced the violin constantly. At only five years old his heart was getting weaker in the tests. He slept far more than he normally did. The healers changed his doses of potions in an attempt to see if his heart could be healed. The heart was a complicated and tricky organ. The wizarding world still struggled with eyesight and a great many wizards having glasses wheras the muggle world had made great advances in eyecare and eliminated the need for a ton of glasses. Medical care developed in different ways over the years as the magical world stuck with magic and the muggles learned the body by cutting it open and through experimentation. The two branches now rivaled one another. The new medications worked and helped a bit, but they did not reach the hopes they had.

Jasper loved his violin. He spent hours a day plucking a string to listen to hear the sound. He used his bow across the strings of the violin to hear the sounds that was created. He repeated the sounds over and over again every day. He had not once played a song. Only sounds and notes. It annoyed his family that he wouldn't sit down and read any sheet music. He just did what he wanted and refused to cooperate when someone tried to teach him anything about his violin.

Even with medical problems it didn't slow Jasper down at all. He was a happy kid and loved plucking away at his violin. He did take lessons from the man whom gave him the violin on how to hold the bow and how to play the instrument quite a bit over the past few years. But, the lessons were not often and only happened when their paths crossed. One night his grandparents returned from a vacation to see his great grandparents. Jasper was extremely excited to show something off to his grandfather that he had learned on the violin. He waited patiently all day for his grandfather. He kept being brushed off as his cousins took all the attention. Each time there were distractions. Jasper sat all day, trying his best to stay awake. He fell asleep, his violin in his hands. He had always fallen asleep early, it was normal that he wasn’t able to stay up late at night. He tried, he really tried.

He snapped awake from a scream of laughter coming from his oldest cousin. His cousins were playing in the late hours of the evening after their grandparents have gone to bed. Jasper there was sad, he was six years old and sad. He wanted to play the violin to his grandfather and hadn’t got the chance. He left his violin on the couch and climbed down. “Grandpa doesn’t like the violin anymore,” he spoke softly in a disappointed voice. His usual smile was gone. He wasn’t happy. He walked away leaving behind the violin to go to his bedroom that he shared with his cousins when they stayed over. He was going to go to sleep.

Svelta, the eldest cousin stopped him and called him back. “Jass! Come back here! Play for us… I haven’t heard you play in a week.” She didn’t really like Jasper’s playing. His playing was repetitive, he was not very good at the violin, but he enjoyed it. She was eight years old, she knew when Jasper felt down about himself, which was quite rare as he was always happy. Jasper flashed a soft smile and rubbed his tired eyes. He walked back to the couch and grabbed his violin. All people have heard him playing was plucking the strings without the bow, or with the bow and playing sounds, just simple notes over and over. He would play the same note a thousand times before switching to a new note. He started playing his instrument. He gave a large grin, his happiness came back. The violin was held up on his shoulder, his chin rested down. He held the instrument carefully by the neck, just barely holding on because of his smaller fingers. He pulled the bow across and played a long solemn sound that echoed across the room. His pace picked up into a faster tempo as he played a song that closely replicated a classic, a rather tough classic to crack. It took him several moments to finish playing the song.

His playing the violin had woken up the household as it was still in the early hours… Way too late, and yet way too early around four in the morning. He had woken up the household on other occasions and had his violin taken away at nights sometimes. His grandfather was standing there, staring at him in shock and disbelief. “Jasper, boy. Where did you learn to play that?” He asked about his song, the song he played that was a tough classic that he had played just about flawlessly. It was the first time he played out a full piece. Jasper was quite proud of it, he was happy and thrilled. Jasper pointed at the television and was worried he copied it wrong. He grew older, seven… Eight years old. He begun listening to old records of violinists through the ages and copying how they’re playing. Got sicker, spent two weeks in the hospital.

Nine years old, healers weren’t very happy with the progress with the potions. It was a complicated issue. It took a long battle of potions and drugs that somewhat worked and somewhat did not. Parts of his heart had healed as intended, but other parts have not. Other parts were still weak, such as his aortic valve and a hole in his chamber was continuing to link. His mother and family had faith in muggle technology and advances and regularly took him to muggle hospitals as well for his checkups. But, he needed surgery. They couldn’t afford the surgery. The family had no idea what to do, they were lost.

After several months, of the sicker child and no money to pay for his needed surgery. Jasper had grown quite weak and was barely leaving bed at all and was becoming fatigued from just walking to the bathroom. Eliška had decided it was time to hunt down Jasper’s father. She needed help. She remembered he was a man of prominence. She didn’t want to ask for his help as he never came back. She wasn’t even sure if he’d believe he had a nine year old son that he never knew about. Eliška spent all of her savings to travel to the United Kingdom, she had found the old business card because she was using it as a bookmarked, it was shocking it lasted as the years passed on by.

She apparated outside of a small estate in Southern Wales, in the United Kingdom. She had taken a train to get to the country first. She apparated as she had trouble securing transportation to the local town. She took the risk, she did not know about the Knight Bus as of yet. At the home, the estate she waited for hours for a man to return, the man was Jonathan Everett… The father of her child. She sat down with him in his office and explained the perils of what was going on with Jasper, and who Jasper was and asked if he had remembered her. Jonathan was in disbelief. He demanded a paternity test and returned to the Czech Republic with Eliška. He simply told his wife he had business to do out of the country. Eliška didn’t know he was married the night Jasper was conceived. She cared less now, as her only thought was Jasper’s well-being.

[/justify]

It took a while for the paternity test to get back in. But, once it returned it proved to Jonathan Everett that he had a fourth child, a third son… One with a large gap between him and his siblings. How was one able to deal with such a gap? His son was nine years old. Nine. He was seven years younger than Jonathan and Grace’s youngest child, Blake. Blake was sixteen years old, Evelyn nineteen, Jonathan Junior was twenty-five. That gap was visible. Jonathan Everett was in shock over the idea of having another son.

He did want another child, but his wife did not. But, he hadn’t expected his cheating would end up giving him one. He sat down onto his knees to look Jasper into his eyes. “Hey buddy, I hear you can play violin quite well. Mind playing?” He asked in English. Jasper simply nodded his head and ran to his bedroom to grab his violin. He returned a moment later with a grin across his face and played an uppity song. Jasper made a mistake toward the end and gave a frown and told his mother he made a mistake he needed to practice more, but neither of them heard the mistake.

With his failing health, Jonathan Everett decided it was best to take Jasper Otterburn and his mother, Eliška home with him… Back to the United Kingdom. Back to Wales. With the knowledge of having another son, it made him quite disappointed that Eliška hadn’t told him sooner. But, Jonathan was quite confused and not sure if he wanted another son… Not sure if he was ready to start interacting with a child he didn’t get to see grow up. He had set his son and his son’s mother up in a small townhouse in Cardiff, Wales. He thought it’d be a great location for her line of work, and Cardiff had access to the better muggle facilities.

Eliška and Jonathan argued over treatment. Eliška believed in the muggles, because of the muggle’s ability has improved greatly over the past several decades. She argued of how her eyesight was corrected by a simple surgery in a muggle hospital when all healers wanted to do was give her glasses. She insisted on the best of both worlds. Jonathan agreed… Reluctantly. “Okay. Fine. Anything to save him… But, if there’s a magical alternative. We’re using it. No arguments.”

Jonathan spent time with his child, his son Jasper. Speaking to him in English trying to help him choose the words that were confusing him. He wanted to teach his son Welsh, but he preferred he understood the language of the United Kingdom first so he could get around. He didn’t want his son to be a laughing stock, not at all. He was quite disappointed in his son’s height. He took Jasper to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. There he had a healer give him a round of potions to help his height and hormone levels… To make his boy grow into a young man. “Jasper… Despite what your mom says, take these. They’ll make you grow.” It made Jasper happy, he hated being short. He hated being called a midget.

After a few months in the United Kingdom, his paperwork had gotten through with his father’s influence. His mother was given a visa… But Jasper was given citizenship, naturalized citizenship due to being the son of a British citizen. He now held citizenship to two countries. He went back to the doctors, this time a muggle hospital insisted on a heart surgery. Healers at St. Mungo’s agreed, perhaps it was best to let the muggles take a crack at the heart. The doctors have noticed that his heart had grown considerably trying to push more blood through the weakened valve and the expanding caused his left ventricle chamber to become weaker in itself, so it continued to expand to try and keep up in demand. It was a vicious cycle that contradicted itself.

He had the surgery. It took him about a week in recovery time. They thought the surgery had gone well. He was assigned medications by the muggle doctors. He took them until such a time where he was released and a St. Mungo’s healer swapped out several of his heart medications for potion replacements. Recovering gave him his energy back, slowly. He played his violin more. He got to explore the United Kingdom with his mother. Jonathan gave them an allowance… Allowing them to do things. Jasper was enjoying himself, though he missed his grandparents and his cousins.

He hadn’t met his half-brothers and half-sister yet. Jonathan was keeping them a secret. Jonathan simply told his family it was business. But, he had begun spending more and more time with Jasper trying to get to know his son. Laughing with his son, taking his son to the zoo for the first time. Jasper’s mind was overwhelmed at the idea of being at a zoo with creatures he could never dream of. He freaked out at the sight of a dragon and asked why there was a dragon on the Welsh flag. His English improved greatly, much faster than his mother’s. His constant practice made it easier as time went on.

His first Christmas in Wales came. His father didn’t even show up. He was just getting used to his father, seeing him as a constant. Jasper was disappointed that he barely even saw Jonathan the entire break. Jonathan was spending it at home with his kids, whom were back from Hogwarts. As the holidays ceased to an end he returned with gifts to Jasper, which thrilled him. One of the gifts was a new violin, to replace his old one that had scratches on it and falling apart due to the care of a five year old and his cousins not quite liking it and throwing it around.

He took the violin with a large grin and ran outside to the local park to play it. He was quite thrilled to be at the park on his own without his mother or father following him. His mother tried to follow him out, but Jonathan stopped her. “Let him go. He’s a good kid.” His mother was overbearing, quite insane at times. She argued with doctors, she wanted the best for her son. She fought for her son, she was used to having to keep an eye on him. She was afraid he’d collapse on his own, something. He was hardly independent though Jasper hadn’t realized he wanted to be until Jonathan stopped her from following him. He felt a sense of happiness… Of relief being alone in the park with nobody watching him. He moved toward the tree line. He rested his back against a tree, standing. He gazed around the park. His left hand was holding both his violin and bow.

After a few minutes of being alone and taking it all in he gave a large toothy grin and picked up the violin to bring out a long draw. He began playing the piece, a happier song. It was almost gospel, but it wasn’t exactly. It was just Jasper having fun with his brand-new violin. He wanted to get used to his violin, know every inch of it as he knew his last one. His tempo picked up as he played faster. The song seemed happy, but it was only a trick. Jasper had mixed in sorrow. The tone of the violin playing turned from happiness to sorrow... To something that shook his very own heart. Jasper had his eyes closed. He played passionately, from his heart. He was enjoying every second… Enjoying the feel of his fingers pressuring the strings, the feel of the scraping bow, and the cool redwood against his palm.

“Young man!” a statement came to him as the song ended. Jasper looked around, not realizing a small crowd had gathered to listen to him. “Tell me where you learned to play that.” Jasper looked at the elderly man speaking. He cocked his head to the side, taking a few seconds to allow his mind to confirm he had translated it right to make sure he wasn’t doing anything wrong. Jasper simply grinned and stayed silent for a moment.

“I learned… It on my own?” Jasper answered. He never had a teacher. Nobody ever taught him how to play the violin, really. Everything he learned was on his own. This man, which had found him in the park had followed him home. He introduced himself to his parents. He offered to teach Jasper at no cost. Jasper was thrilled to have a violin teacher. His parents agreed… As long as it was at his house until they learned who this man was. But, they quickly warmed up to him realizing he was the famous Pierce Murtagh whom had retired. Under Pierce Murtagh’s internship he entered a few local competitions in Cardiff. He won once, and a magazine called Musician’s Corner took his picture once. He was called someone to keep an eye on. This magazine article, though a muggle magazine had made both of his parents quite proud.

There was a competition on the day of his tenth birthday, September 1st, 2016. This competition would forever remain in Jasper’s heart as it was the first time he saw his father sitting in the audience. A majority of his competitions happened during the summer, where he spent them with his other children. Jasper understood this. He had asked to meet his brothers and sister a few times, but he always dropped the issue. His curiosity was always there. Jasper scored second place in the violinist competition against a pianist that was a few years older than him. He wasn’t upset over second place, he was happy. He didn’t even care for the trophy they had given him. He had enjoyed himself.

He spent most of his tenth year practicing the violin, as well as his eleventh year. He learned a great deal. Pierce Murtagh had taught him how to read musical notes and write it down so other musicians could understand it. He taught the young Jasper how to pace himself, to not play so fast, or too slow. How to play with feeling behind it, which he was already a natural at. He played old records constantly to Jasper, having Jasper play pieces back to him. Once, he gave Jasper an assignment, one of his own pieces and gave him a week to learn it without hearing it and play it back. Much to Pierce Murtagh’s surprise, his wife stated it sounded just like him. He was quite proud of the boy, he introduced Jasper Otterburn to his friends and colleagues as his prodigy, the boy he’d make great.

During one of the session with Pierce Murtagh he showed his first sign of magic. The violin bow picked itself up off the ground and rose to his hand without him even realizing it. It was a sign of disbelief for him and his wife who were watching. Jasper freaked out and ran home to his mother. Strangely, his father was there as well. He told them what had happened. Both of them were quite happy. Pierce Murtagh and his wife showed up to return the boy’s violin and see if he was alright. Jonathan gave a soft smile and pulled out his wand to wipe their memories. But, Eliška stopped him. “Its fine, they can keep a secret. We know who they are. We know he’s Pierce Murtagh… We’re… Wizards and witches. But, we live in secrecy. This doesn’t change who we are, please do not tell others. This is why Jasper is gone all summer and why you can’t see him during the school year.” Pierce understood. He kept the secret. If the Muggle Relations office ever found out they might’ve had a field day.

Though, Pierce Murtagh was quite disappointed when Jasper told him he had to go to a private boarding school up north in Scotland. He insisted on Jasper taking part of the orchestra to learn to play with others then, and expected him to come back during the breaks to practice with him and send mail. Jasper agreed. Pierce Murtagh had given him several binders of music and told him to practice them while at school. Jasper smiled, it was quite a lot. He wasn’t sure if he was going to be able to get through it all. But, he welcomed the challenge. The challenge was good.

He came home that evening to hear his father there. He was glad to hear his father. But, he stopped dead at the living room, listened to his parents arguing over him. “I will not let my son go to Durmstrang. I don’t need him to get offed like my cousin. That place doesn’t teach children anything good. It’s all Dark Arts! Nothing but Dark Arts! He should go to the better school, Hogwarts is the best in Europe… Perhaps the world? He’s going to Hogwarts! Not Durmstrang.” Jasper had heard of both schools before. He hadn’t realized he would be going to one so soon, most kids went when they were eleven. He would be twelve, because his birthday fell on the cutoff date… Born a minute earlier he could’ve started school an entire year earlier.

Jasper was eligible for both Durmstrang Institute and Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Being born in the Czech Republic made him a Czech citizen, whose wizarding children went to Durmstrang like the neighbors, Bulgaria, Austria, Germany, to the far reaches to Norway. The argument lasted several moments until Jasper walked into the kitchen to interrupt them. “I choose Hogwarts.” Those three words ended the argument, and the Hogwarts owl was sent back. It was a curious thing to have to do, two great magical schools sending him an invitation, not many had that chance. His father told him it was a good choice, he’d learn to be with people and make friends with people from his own country. Jasper stared at him blankly, “Oh… I am… British am I?” His father laughed, “I am British, Welsh, and Czech? Wow… Do I have to learn Welsh?” His father nodded his head, he had been teaching Jasper some welsh phrases, but focused on his English first.

Diagon Alley was fun for him. A great deal of fun. He got to look through all the shops. His father bought him new everything, from trunks to clothes, to shoes. His pet owl for school. His father decided not to take him to the wand shop, he gave Jasper a wand that was in the family. His wand wood was pear. “This wand doesn't work for me, I inherited from my grandfather. Try it?” Jasper did and the wand warmed up to him. According to legend, Garrick Ollivander had never heard of a pear wand in the possession of a dark witch or wizard. The wand commonly fell in the hands of popular and well-respected wizards and witches. It was as if the wand knew something. Being pear, it was incredibly resistant, and looked new even after being around for centuries. The core was a phoenix feather.

His first year of Hogwarts came by. His brother, Blake was no longer there. He quickly did not do well at Astronomy over his other classes. He had trouble staying awake for Astronomy. He had always fallen asleep early and woke up early. His first year of Hogwarts he showed an aptitude for the orchestra and surprisingly, History of Magic. It was tricky for him to write essays as he kept having to scratch out words he wrote in his native tongue to rewrite it in English. He made some friends his first year of Hogwarts, mostly through the Orchestra. He was quite happy with his house and sorting… Ravenclaw. It was a great fit for him. He was competitive with his housemates, he was creative, he had great wit and good responses. He enjoyed it and thought he belonged there. He spent a great deal of his free time working through what Pierce Murtagh had given him. During the summer he went back home to his mom’s house and started up his lessons with Pierce Murtagh again, whom had noticed his improvement.

His second year of Hogwarts went by without a hitch, he stayed in Orchestra. He however had to take stimulants to keep up so he could get a decent grade in Astronomy. He was always far too tired for the class. About a month into the school year a healer from St. Mungo’s came to visit and had him called out of class to switch his potions and medications around again, hoping the new ones would help him get stronger. They upped his dosage of hormones and growth stimulants. He was still much shorter than his classmates, by several inches. His heart wasn’t showing any improvement and was starting to show signs of further deterioration and getting weaker. He felt great for the most part and tried to ignore the chest pain. He pushed past it and pushed himself. He didn’t like the chest pain at all, but, he tried his best to distract himself by playing the violin, anything. He did have to have several check-ups throughout the school year after the school day had ended or on the weekends.

One day in his second year, Jasper Otterburn was sitting in the clock tower, there wasn’t much room there, but he liked it. The ticking made him feel a rhythm which was perfect for his violin playing, to keeping an even tempo. He did his homework in the clock tower often, practiced his violin. Hardly anyone came there. Nobody really noticed him when he slipped away there. Sometimes he had his pet owl with him, but normally it did not go over well as he’d simply fly off to chase the other owls. After a half-an-hour in the clock tower playing the violin, Jasper placed the violin down and clutched his chest. He didn’t like the pain. He rolled his shoulders back and leaned against the wall trying to calm himself down. He hunched forward pressing his chest against his knees, he hugged himself tightly, the pressure helping. He screamed in agony. Luckily, there was someone there to witness it, a first year exploring, Lily Weasley found him and ran off to the hospital wing to get help.

Due to the clock tower stairs being thin, it wasn’t an easy way to carry down the boy. The stairs became crowded with curious children. After a moment of quick thinking the nurse had sent someone to get a house elf. A house elf apparated into the clock tower and looked around, happy to receive an order. The nurse had asked him to apparate the boy to the hospital wing. Jasper had to stay in the hospital wing for two nights. He wanted his violin, to finish his homework. The staff insisted he take it easy and don’t worry about anything. Someone had brought him a book when they were visiting, so he only read.

The summer of his second to third year was an adventure to him as lessons continued. He was in a new competition at a local concert hall, where some famous persons had performed. He performed in a group of children alongside them, this time the solo was his. Musician’s Corner featured him again as a young prodigy to watch. His team won the competition. His third year of Hogwarts came around and it was a constant watch of his medications and potions. They were adjusted and rebalanced often. His third year was normal, like his second and first years in his classes. Toward the middle of the school year his heart had come up to having even more problems… And once again it was time for surgical methods. He was moved to St. Mungo’s for a few weeks. It was decided after carefully weighing options due to the hole in his heart and the fact that everything else about him was healthy, but his heart, valve, and chamber walls. It was decided he should be put on a heart transplant list. Due to the large shortage and rarity in the wizarding world, he was put on a list through the British Minitry of Magic’s Muggle Relations office and was able to get him on the list that spread across the entire country.

Summer came again right before his fifth year of Hogwarts. The fifteen year old was to be performing on a stage, duo… In the Royal Albert Hall. A place that was top notch. He was surprised when he was told he was performing there. His father was confused why Royal Albert Hall, only the best of the best ever performed there. His father had research done in Pierce Murtagh back in his office and had realized exactly how famous Pierce Murtagh was. One of the best possible violinists in the world was teaching his son… And he was a muggle. Jonathan was okay with this, it meant his son got the best. While at Pierce Murtagh’s home one day he saw a letter mentioning Pierce’s name on it from Musician’s Corner. Jasper was curious about it, and he was told they asked for an interview. Pierce Murtagh didn’t make public performances and didn’t give interviews. Jasper loved the magazine, he was in it twice. He insisted on going to their offices.

Thus they did. He met their editor in chief, Mindy Willows. He talked and performed for her, had pictures taken and all. He told his story and of how he met Pierce Murtagh. As the summer went on, he was in shock over the list of audience as it was growing. The tickets for the venue event he was performing was high. His own mother couldn’t afford one, Pierce made sure there were seats for his family. The performance started off well after the introduction, his name… Was mentioned to the crowd. For the first time he heard his name spoken to the elite of the crowd. He grinned and played the duo classical piece alongside Pierce Murtagh on his own violin that his father, Jonathan had gotten him. He was thrilled as the piece came to an end. The applause was exciting to him. The second part of the performance lasted an hour, it was a battle back and forth… A fiddle battle where he had to legit try and best Pierce. He tried his hardest, he played with his soul, with a large smile on his face, to expressions of despair when Pierce changed the tempo from uppity to sad, to gospel, to a rush. Jasper took up the battle on his end and challenged Pierce back. He dropped the bow to his side and played it as if it were a fiddle, without the bow. He laughed aloud, the microphone echoed his laugh and his voice, “Oh come on, Pierce! You afraid of romani style?”

Pierce Murtagh laughed and copied the young boy and played. “Oh no. I’m not afraid of this, my boy.” The battle went on a bit longer than scheduled, but they were fine with it. Who was going to correct them? The audience seemed to enjoy it. The fiddle ended, it went back to including the bow and playing pieces, and to even just random notes that sounded well together. The tempo sped up, and sped up, the violin pieces became increasingly complex. It was a wonder he didn’t catch on fire. He moved his arm at such a fast pace, moved his legs around and nodded his head going with the flow and the feeling. He pulled the bow into his hand and violin in the other and held them at his side as he bowed down facing Pierce Murtagh. Pierce Murtagh had done the same, with more grace from years as a performer and bowed toward Jasper. “Oh, Jay my boy! You have bested me.” He announced out, giving the round to Jasper. He grinned, excited. He was happy, thrilled. Had he really bested the legendary Pierce Murtagh? “I present to you all my discovery, Jay Otterburn… Violinist, a master that rivals even me.” Pierce grinned, “And he’s only fifteen? Impressive my boy.” Pierce sat down his violin and bow on the stool and clapped his hand, beginning a round of applause.

The intermission broke out. The intermission was about a half an hour. Jasper sat down his violin and ran to the side of the stage and jumped off of it to go to the seats near it, some of the best seats in the house. They were the seats of his family. His father was there. He was thrilled to see his father. He also saw his step mother, whom he hadn’t seen very often. “Thanks for coming, dad!” Jasper announced giving him a hug. He turned to his mother and gave her a hug. He spent time talking with his family, just about how excited he was. His mother was worried about his feeling, not wanting him to feel too weak and told him he can step out if he needs to. Jasper insisted on going back onto the stage.

“Jass, buddy. Queen Catherine is here,” Jonathan told his son. He pointed up to the skybox to see the royal guard. Jasper looked up, his jaw dropped. “The queen’s here? What’d I do to get the queen to watch me?” Jasper asked. The queen did go to events often. Jasper was in shock the queen was there. His spirits were lifted up even higher, somehow. He was quite excited. As the intermission ended he hugged his mom again and climbed back up on the stage. Instead of using the stairs, he used his arms to lift himself… Much to the disappointment of his family. He had done it purposely to prove he was feeling okay. But, Jasper wasn’t feeling okay. He was going to push through it.

He picked up his violin and drew out a note. Him and Pierce Murtagh begun playing Handel-Halvorsen’s Passacaglia. He was worried he was doing it wrong, his start was slow, but Pierce overtook him and kept him in the rhythm. He watched as Pierce nodded his head and batted his eyes, a symbol to Jasper to calm down. Jasper took in a deep breath and rolled his head around and begun picking up the tempo, taking the lead in the duet and Pierce kept up with him. He spun around to face the crowd over Pierce and moved his legs. He moved his back. He moved with his music. His face had a grin, his eyes closed. He was enjoying himself, enjoying the music, the very sound that was echoing his ears. He felt the music down to the fiber of his bones. He had played it quite beautifully. He was truly a master with that piece, it was obvious to the crowd. It was a complicated piece, a piece that violinists worked for years to perform correctly. Pierce Murtagh had competition, Jasper was his competition.

The violin dropped out of his hand. The bow dropped as well. His fingers clutched up, Jasper leaned forward and grabbed his chest and fell down to the ground. He ripped off his microphone from his shirt and tossed it aside to give a feedback noise, he grunted in frustration and screamed, the microphone picked it up. Pierce Murtagh immediately sat down his violin on the stool and rushed to Jasper’s side. His father and mother came up on the stage, his mother grabbed his hand. His father pushed her away and picked Jasper up and walked to the side of the stage where paramedics swarmed to grab him and put him on a stretcher. Within moments he was rolled out and escorted out. Pierce went with them. The director of the Royal Albert Hall gave an apology and offered full refunds for the unforeseen complications. Jasper Otterburn had finally touched fame, tasted fame, performing in front of the queen herself… In a place where people wanted to hear Jay Otterburn, they wanted Jay. But, he had a heart attack.

In the hospital, Mindy Willows came by. His mother found her in the lobby curious, along with other members of the press all wanting the story. Wanting to be the first, trying to sweet talk the nurses for details. The hospital was planning to make a statement. Whether Jasper liked it or not, he had become high profile overnight. In those few short hours’ dozens of people whose names caused the press to stalk showed up for his performance, top magazine writers, such as Musician’s Corner’s editors came. To his surprise, the Queen herself came. The boy touched fame. He had fame, he hadn’t realized it. He enjoyed playing his violin. But, he was very down to earth and only in it for the fun of the violin. “Miss Willows… I mean, Mindy,” he spoke, and corrected myself to address her as she had requested of him weeks back.

“I’m so sorry, are you okay? Is everything fine? Everyone’s worried. The entire crowd was in shock. Everyone’s talking about you. You’re on the evening news,” Mindy spoke to the boy, staring at the scar on his chest. “Oh, I’m sorry, Jasper. Please feel better. Your performance was amazing, you were amazing. I won’t include this in my story about you.” She smiled, hoping that would make the boy feel better, she was worried. She wanted him to feel better. “I can’t imagine… Heart problems? Oh, I just want to go home and hug my children. I shouldn’t be here.”

Jasper gave a soft smile and shook his head. “It’s fine Miss Willows.” He sat up in his bed, carefully. His hands clutched into the blanket across his lap, gripping them to help him ignore the pain as the morphine sunk into his blood. “You see, I have a bad heart… I’ve been on the heart transplant list for about a year now. But, I don’t let it get me down. It’s my tax. Being sick is my tax, the tax for my gift. It was all worth it.” Jasper truly believed being sick was the tax for his gift in the violin, he viewed it as an acceptable tradeoff. “I’d rather to spend time being sick than trying to fathom my life without a violin.” His smile turned into a grin.

Mindy Willows spoke to him, gave him small talk. Made him feel better. He told her he goes to school at a private boarding school in Scotland, there were plenty in Scotland, and he just didn’t say Hogwarts. Hogwarts was a secret. “Miss Willows? You can have it.” He spoke, she looked confused. He smiled and leaned toward her, “The story. It’s yours. I hear the vultures outside are trying to sneak into my room. They want the story. You can have it. Exclusive, I think is the right word?” Jasper spoke. He continued speaking, this time in Czech, only his mother seemed to understand what it was. She came to his side and pushed lightly on his shoulders to get him to lay down. Mindy Willows left, leaving behind a business card for him. She got the story, the exclusive story and her magazine hit the top of every news agency. The hospital’s statement was televised. Queen Catherine made a visit to his hospital room to check up on him, which caused even more publicity. The boy had become the talk of the nation. Everyone wanted to know everything about Jay Otterburn the Welsh-Czech boy.

Jasper was released from the hospital against medical advice. His health was down, it looked as if he needed the transplant immediately. Jonathan made calls, several calls and checked his son out himself and told his mother the plan. “Eliška. Go home and pack your bags and Jass’. We’re going to China. I’m buying him a heart. We’re not waiting around any longer.” She nodded her head and walked into the bathroom to apparate out. They used a portkey to get to China, over flying. Everything they did was kept low profile. Jonathan played his contacts to get everything in place, money transferred. Everything was ready for them.

In Shanghai, they took Jasper around for one night to see the sights as they waited for the hospital. Jonathan and Eliška constantly checked on him. Grace Everett, his stepmother had come as well. She showed concern over the boy. Over the past several weeks Grace and Jasper have been spending time together, getting to know one another. Bits and pieces over the years. Jasper stopped reminding her of her cheating husband, but as a teenager that made her miss her own children being young. She wasn’t ever hostile toward him, just toward Eliška.

The hospital became available, after two days of being checked in the hospital and tests, several blood tests he was given medications and rolled into surgery. The surgery lasted six hours, there were no complications. His chest cavity was opened, he was connected to a bypass machine. The heart was removed and the new heart was sewn into place. But… It didn’t start beating on its own. The surgeon gave it an electric jolt and it began beating. He was put on a ventilator. He was moved into a recovery room where he stayed for a week before he was moved to a regular room. While he was still in the ICU his father had brought Jonathan Jr, Evelyn, and Blake to meet him as soon as he became alert and conscious. “This is Jasper… He’s um, your little brother. He’s what I was doing on all these business trips these last several years.” His kids were in shock, but Evelyn quickly gave him a hug quite glad to have a new brother. All the kids warmed up to him as Grace had done.

One night his dad had to go to a business meeting, and his mother was with her own parents eating. He was left alone with Grace for the first time. She talked to him, read him some things from the book she was reading. The two connected quite well. Grace gave him a hug before she left when the nurse told her it was time to leave.

He was brought back to the United Kingdom, home to Wales. He was taken to St. Mungo’s for a check-up and an alteration of his medications. His father used his contacts in the Muggle Relation’s office to make it appear his heart transplant was legally obtained in the muggle’s eyes, to not curb any investigation. He went back to a muggle hospital for transplant tests and he was kept overnight due to an adverse reaction to one of their medications. He called Mindy Willows into his hospital room and told her he got a heart. The post-complications weren’t severe. Mindy was quite glad to see him again. “Go ahead, take a picture. The story’s already yours. The rest of those vultures will find out soon enough anyway… One reporter called me stupid over the phone for not talking to him. I’m not stupid. I’m a squirrel. Small and resourceful.” He gave a grin and laughed. He slowly remove dhis shirtHe stood up carefully, one of his cousins helped him pick the shirt up. He let the reporter, Mindy Willows the editor-in-chief of Musician’s Corner have the pictures for her magazine. About a week and half later the September issue of Musician’s Corner was released, it was one of the larger issues. The issue was delayed. Musician’s Corner was known for having an erratic schedule. They skipped months sometimes, had multiple in a single month. Their main outlet was the internet, though their magazine sold in stores and in subscriptions. He was front paged. This pleased him greatly.

He loved the muggle world, he believed the muggle world had a lot to offer. Pierce Murtagh, his mentor was a muggle. His family kept in touch with their muggle roots. His father was Dominion. He would’ve never guessed his father was. He didn’t know anything about this. He attended his fifth year late, he arrived about a month late, but his lateness was understood. He had an easier time staying up for Astronomy, he was far more alert than he had ever been in his life. He was able to stay awake longer, didn’t tire out easily. He was put back on his growth stimulants to push him even deeper into his puberty, in hopes they’d correct his height. His baby face had fallen away over the past few years and gave him a strong set of cheekbones.

Christmas Holidays 2022 rolled around for the sixteen year old. He was invited by his stepmother to their home for Christmas. He told his mom at home that his dad and stepmom wanted him for Christmas. She nodded her head, she loved spending the holiday with her son. Every year just her and her son. Jonathan came and picked him up and turned around to Eliška and looked at her, “How come you’re not ready? Go, get something on.” He told her, formally inviting her as well. Jonathan turned to his son, “It’s only right. Right? She’s your mum. You can’t be away from her on this day.” He patted his son on his shoulder and grabbed Eliška’s hand when she came back and apparated out of there, to his estate on the southern beach in Wales. Jasper loved it at his father’s. The home was massive, the beach was a lot of fun. There were things to do, and it wasn’t cramped like his mom’s townhouse.

Christmas holidays were fun. A great deal of fun. He was given quite a few things by his father. He and his mother planned to have their own the next day, just for them two. Eliška was given some beautiful pieces of jewelry that she gasped at and wondered the cost. Jasper received books, new clothes, a broom, and an antique violin… Far older than his and far nicer. One of the classics. “Oh… Is this a… a Matteo?” He asked, referring to the maker of the violin, the violin was made back in the late 1600s. “A seventeenth century violin? That’s older… Older than a lot of things! This… This is a masterpiece!” Jasper was excited.

Grace Everett, his stepmother looked at him and gave a soft smile, “Well, son. Aren’t you going to play something for us? Let us hear this ‘masterpiece’.” Jasper grinned and nodded his head. He stood up, holding the violin and bow in his right hand. He used his left hand to move his messy hair (from his siblings messing with it earlier) out of his eyes and he stuck some strands behind his large ears that stuck out. He drew the bow and got into an appropriate posture and begun playing. He played a Christmas song, as it seemed right. His family enjoyed it, so did Jasper. He quite loved his gifts. “We have one more thing for you, Jasper… Your father and I… Have paid for a full summer tuition for you at the Wizarding Academy of Dramatic Arts. You told me in the hospital you wanted to go, well now you can.” Jasper grinned.

School begun again, he was excited for his second semester. But, he got bad news. His mother had died. She was killed. The killer was unknown. Jasper was devastated over this, he was so used to his mother. He cried over hearing the news being given to him by his head of house. He stormed out of his head of house’s office and ran up the towers and stayed in the clock tower, missing all of his classes for that day. People seemed to understand the hurt he was feeling. Jasper recovered slowly, it took him a few days to even pick up his violin again. His father had wrote to him in an owl asking him to play something at her funeral, she would’ve wanted that. Eliška Otterburn was gone, Jasper barely coped. He didn’t bother showing up for any of his classes, he spent his days alone just playing his violin. About a week after her death he was called to the headmaster’s office and instructed to go to his father’s home on the Floo Network.

He played a song he composed at his mother’s funeral. It begun off sad, it was a sad song. Full of sorrow. Jasper played the piece in tears. He didn’t know how to hide his emotions he always showed them. He refused to look in the casket, to see his mother’s face. He couldn’t bare the sight of seeing his mother dead. “I can’t,” he cried when in line to look in the casket. He pushed himself out of the line and sat down on a chair in tears. A great deal of family members and friends all went to him, to comfort him over his crying grandparents and aunt. Everyone comforted Jasper. He found it strange everyone was apologizing to him. He only wanted his mother back. Pierce Murtagh showed up at her funeral as well, he commented on the strangely dressed people, but he sat alongside Jasper a great deal of time telling the boy it’d be fine.

Little did he know, she was murdered by his stepmother. There were issues that Jasper had no idea what was going on between them, it ended up becoming a Dominion and Order thing. Jasper had no idea what these were. Eliška had been using her position to pass information on, the Dominion wanted her gone. But, it was a tough thing to do. Jonathan disliked the fact that Eliška was gone, he didn’t like the pain his son was feeling. But, talking with Grace, he decided to make the best of it. His son was still a teenager, still young. His son trusted him, he thought he had time to help mold his son, to train him, to make him great. He asked his wife, Grace if his son’s last name should be changed to Everett from Otterburn. She shook her head, “No. Otterburn his who he is, let him keep that part of his mother.”


Jasper’s health had made a strong recovery, he was able to ride a broom again safely, lift his arms, run around and swim in the lake. He dislikes his long scar, but he’s quite happy. His fifth year got better, slowly, but got better due to the help of his friends. His best friend helped a great deal. His violin playing continued.

i'm bigger than the sound

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I - T H I N K - T H A T - I ' M - B I G G E R - T H A N - T H E - S O U N D ![/SIZE][/center]

hey, my name is leif and i think this site is the awesome (I don’t like that word hahaha). you can contact me through pms or im’s (pm to ask), but i won't be on all the time, since i live in the pacific (-8gmt) time zone. by the way, i'm twenty-three years old. also, i pretty much rock at roleplaying, look:

Alternate history from 3rd person view...

[white]Murtagh versus Otterburn[/white]

Back in late spring I came across an interesting piece of information after some cancellations at Royal Albert Hall, a new act was announced: One that the world has not seen in ages. People for the last two decades have wondered if the world famous violinist Pierce Murtagh would ever make a return to the musical world to embrace the world with his gift. He hasn’t been seen since early 2001. It had been reported he had suffered a stroke and decided it was time to retire, at the age of sixty-eight.

There were curious people of wondering if Pierce Murtagh was alive or not. People were curious of his whereabouts and I was not an exception. I remember being sixteen years old when I first heard him back in the year of 1997. I remember him being one of my first musician crushes. I wasn’t like the other kids back in the nineties raving after Elton John’s Candle in the Wind or even Aqua’s Barbi Girl were some of the top that I remember even including the Spice Girl’s hit 2 Become 1. I loved classical music, I followed the great singers such as Luciano Pavarotti or the violinist Akiko Suwanai and the famous Pierce Murtagh. Pierce Murtagh had become a household name almost to the greatness that Pavarotti had achieved, every person in the western world knew his name. They’ve heard his music in breakout television series and games for computers which were just breaking out in the world, I didn’t even have one, if one could believe that.

After his last performance just over twenty-one years ago he had dropped out of public sight completely. The only statement he had given was saying that he wished to focus on his wife and family. It was a great pain that rippled the world when the talented Pierce Murtagh disappeared. It left a hole in the soul of lovers of classical musicians everywhere, myself included. Rumors have popped up over the years stating that the great Murtagh is the mystery guest for whatever major venue event that was happening across the world. But, none… Not one of the rumors have been correct. The mystery guests were always someone else, of course we have seen some great comebacks over the years… But, not one of them were to the level of Pierce Murtagh.

So one could imagine the surprise of everyone here at Musician’s Corner when we found out the great Pierce Murtagh was coming out of retirement to play at a benefit concert for one night only. With this knowledge I did not waste a single moment to buy up tickets for myself, my husband, my children and my office. I thought the chance to see the real Pierce Murtagh performing would be a once in a lifetime opportunity for myself and everyone else. Boy, was I lucky I nabbed the tickets fast as they were sold out within a day. People booked flights across the world to make it to Royal Albert Hall, the hotels were booked up and rates skyrocketed.

Mystery guests over the years were never Pierce Murtagh, why was this one? Simply put… Pierce Murtagh was performing by name. He had even made a statement stating he’d be making his first public appearance in twenty-one years at the Royal Albert Hall benefit concert. The name of the concert was not yet announced, and it was booked and billed simply as Pierce Murtagh Presents a Gift. Royal Albert Hall’s director had given a statement. Stating that Pierce Murtagh wished to keep the second performer a mystery until the night of the concert. This drove me curious. Who was the person that had brought Pierce Murtagh back from the brinks of becoming unknown? Who was the man that had inspired statements from some of the biggest names of our times to be reporting coming to the venue.

I tugged on strings, I made calls, endless e-mails and texts to all my contacts I have gathered through the years to find out more of this mystery concert. I wanted to know who Pierce Murtagh was performing with. I wanted every detail. I was a kid in a candy store. It took me three weeks of purging through my contacts to finally manage to get a message through to Pierce Murtagh. I wrote a letter of how I grew up with his music, listening to him as a teenager and that I would love to have a chance to talk to him and his mystery violinist. The letter was very unprofessional and I hold no regrets, I wrote it from my heart. Pierce Murtagh was perhaps one of my first crushes… Much like how John Barrowman was for my friends.

To my surprise one, a few weeks ago in July a young man showed up to my office followed by an elderly man. They asked to speak to me alone, so I cleared out my office of which I was holding a staff meeting and had my calls put on hold to talk to the two. I was wondering why, because I had such a busy day planned. But, I had a feeling I should and my son had a doctor’s appointment later that day so I decided an easy day was probably best, maybe just spending the day reviewing article revisions and calling in some interviews. This young man and the elderly man was a welcome distraction. I was quite surprised when the man introduced himself with a soft and warm smile as Pierce Murtagh. The last time he was seen he was in his early fifties, now a man sporting his seventies he looked great… And I felt horrible that I did not even recognize him.

The young man hadn’t been introduced yet, but he spoke rather quickly after I stopped gawking over the fact that I had shook the hand of Pierce Murtagh. “Pleasure to meet you Miss Willows, I am a fan of your work. When I saw the letter that had gotten to Pierce, I was being nosy and glanced at the name and I was wondering if it was the same Mindy Willows, and to my surprise it was you. I simply insisted on coming to meet you,” the boy spoke in a soft voice, but with a noticeable accent. Where was he from? I couldn’t quite place it. I thought he was Eastern European perhaps, maybe Belarusian or Latvian? It bothered me, but his British accent was great and he was easy to understand. I told him it was a pleasure to meet him, as I had said to Pierce Murtagh.

“Oh! I’m sorry,” the boy spoke again, this time color blushing across his face. “I forgot to introduce myself, I am Jasper Otterburn.” I smiled and shook the boy’s hand and invited them both to sit in my office so I could talk to them. My mind was running rampant, I wasn’t sure of what to say. Murtagh was sitting in my office. How was I to know? And little did I know my story would become focused on the child, Jasper Otterburn. I asked him if Pierce Murtagh was his grandfather and his age, as I was quite curious. “Oh. Ma’am, I’m only fifteen,” he gave a soft laugh and continued, “Grandfather? Oh… Sometimes I think he is, but he’s actually my teacher.” I glanced between the two. Pierce Murtagh taught? If I had known this I would’ve insisted on lessons from him long ago, but apparently this was a set of unique circumstances.

Pierce Murtagh laughed and spoke up in his strong deep voice that I have always known from his few lessons that could be found across the Internet. “I was walking through a park in my neighborhood one day with my wife and I heard the sweetest sound. It was truly the sound of an angel, a sound of great talent… A gift for all of us. I walked toward the sound, my wife was also curious. I found my wife in tears as we walked toward the beautiful song… That was full of sorrow. This mystery musician—no, that’s too soft, artist… That’s the word. This mystery artist had captivated my wife’s soul… And mine. He played with such emotion and conveyed it across. His face had the emotion written across it. It was clear he was playing from his heart, his very soul. I couldn’t stop grinning. I stood there in applause to the young man. I remember myself saying ‘Young man! Tell me where you learned to play that.’ Oh, boy, his answer.” Murtagh burst into laughter.

“I told him I learned to play on my own. I never had a professional teacher, everything was on my own… Whatever sounded good to me is what I played. I didn’t follow instructions on sheets, I came up with sounds on my own. Pierce here just stood there in laughter, I thought I had played something wrong, and I was wondering why he had found it so entertaining. I was playing a song about my feelings, because I was feeling quite down that day as I had gotten bad news that my grandfather back in the Czech Republic had a heart attack. It terrified me. I couldn’t fathom the idea of losing my grandfather.” The boy looked sad, he didn’t like recalling the time. I expressed my sympathy to only which he responded, “Actually. He’s fine now, just retired and taking it easy.”

I grew curious, I asked him did he know who Pierce Murtagh was. He shook his head, not knowing the name. Murtagh spoke up, “Oh. The boy did not even recognize me nor my work. It was quite refreshing to asking to use his violin and play a piece for him to see his genuine reaction. He… Understood what I played, there is only one person in the world who has done that before him, and that would be my wife.”

The young man was quite polite in his manners. He gave a firm shake, he had a great smile across his face. His smile was contagious when I showed him around the office when he accepted the tour. My colleagues smiled and grinned back at him. He was full of positive energy. With him speaking in his soft voice it seemed he had an aura around himself. He seemed to be a naturally trusting person and curious of everything.

I asked him when he first began playing the violin to only hear him snort a laugh, “My mom… Back in Czech Republic was a… Cleaner… Or um, maid? Yes! Maid that is it! I was a tyke back then, I had to be what? Five? I was a nosy kid with boundary issues. My mom took me to work with her, my babysitter fell through. She thought it’d be fine as the owner of the home she was cleaning wasn’t home usually. I being nosy decided to look around and sneak away from my mother’s side. I found a violin and started plucking the strings on it.” Jasper had begun laughing, it was clearly visible that he found the story amusing.

It took him a moment to catch his breath and keep a steady voice before he continued telling the story. “So yeah, anyway, I was sitting on the floor plucking the strings of this old violin. Wasn’t using it how you’d expect. I just plucked them and listened to the sounds they created and kept going until I had a rhythm I enjoyed. But, something happened. The owner of the home came home quite early that day, decided to come home after lunch because his wife was to get back that afternoon. He caught me sitting in the living room playing with his violin. My mother found him watching me and freaked out and begun quickly talking and apologizing and insisting on no pay for the day as an apology. The man simply found it amusing and told my mother it was okay. He tried to teach me the notes on the violin, but I just liked playing with the strings and the sounds. He told me to take the violin home. I grinned, my mother insisted on paying for it. The man said no, told me it was a gift to me and only me.” He gave another burst of laughter.

I asked him when he finally did play a musical piece, an actual musical piece. He grinned and spoke once again in his soft optimistic voice, “Well um… There on the television was a classical concert. I was mimicking the sounds on it. I listened for a minute, paused the television and played. I pressed the back button twice and replayed the same minute, paused and played it on my violin. I repeated this until I copied the sounds perfectly. It drove my family up the walls of my experimentation, I swear my cousin nearly smashed my violin once… Thank god my grandfather stopped her! I sat all day one day waiting for my mom to come home, she was of course tired. So, I was quite upset that I did not get to play for her that evening. My grandfather saw how upset I was and told me to play for him. So, I did. My mom watched me from the narrow hall and broke down into tears.”

Pierce Murtagh begun speaking, “I talked to his mother, such a sweetheart. She was so enthusiastic about him receiving further violin lessons thinking it’d be good for him. She had told me she had known her son was great from the first night listening to him playing to his grandfather. When I have been working with young, Jay here he had decided to actually start listening to me and learn to read notes. I trusted him with one of my originals and told him to go home and practice it. I gave him the notes. I was going to give him the recording, but, I decided I wanted him to learn the notes on his own. It took Jay about a week, he wouldn’t let me hear him before then, he ignored practices and stood me up a dozen times because he was too busy practicing the notes I gave him… Such motivation. His mother had told me that it sounded perfect on the first day, but he was stubborn and wanted it to be perfect for him.” Murtagh took a deep breath as he paused for a moment.

“Finally, I have had the chance to listen to him play the notes, the piece I had given to him. I closed my eyes to listen to him play without any objections, I let my ears do the work. He played beautifully, halfway through the piece my wife walked in and sat beside me listening to Jasper play… Well, Jasper want to finish this?”

Jasper nodded his head and grinned, “Well I remember when Mrs. Murtagh spoke after I stopped playing and she shot up from the couch and gave me a hug. ‘It sounds… Just like Pierce’s! How’d you do that?’ I grinned, I had practiced for a week nonstop, I barely slept that week. I was so tired that I went straight home after eating with the Murtagh’s and collapsed straight into bed and slept for a good fourteen hours.” Jasper gave a smirk, I wondered why he was smirking. “When I came back for my next lesson, Pierce played the piece to me. I was shocked that I conveyed it the correct way, like him. This eventually led to us having a battle between one another. These battles were great fun and it taught me a great deal about my tempo. It made me understand the music better, which I now… Am quite good at!”

I asked them to tell me of their upcoming concert. I was quite curious about this. I agreed that this article, I would write about meeting them would not be published until after the concert. I planned on this being on our website originally, we only had a simple tidbit that Pierce Murtagh was in our offices. But, events transpired and… This had become a feature. “Well, this is my first major concert that got this much attention. I was actually photographed by your magazine a few years ago, Miss Willows.” I instantly remembered why the teenager was familiar to me, I remember being at a local performance in London, a kid’s competition for a fluff piece. It was quite enjoyable, I love going to children’s concerts to see how children view music. I was in shock, remembering Jasper Otterburn, but I had never asked for his name. I now regretted not.

“I know! I grew a lot. I turn sixteen next month. I had some issues with my growth, you probably remember me being really short. Right? I’ve been taking some medicines to help me grow. Worked quite well, has it not?”

I remembered the kid. I couldn’t believe I missed this. I talked to him. I remember the shy kid, the soft personality, a great raw talent at the violin. I remember thinking to myself back then that he would one day become a name that I would know, that would be of a highlight in my magazine. The kid was shy, he was very self-conscious about his height. He now rivaled my own height and I only stand at around 163 centimeters (about five four, for our American readers)! “Actually, it was you whom told me being short wasn’t all that bad.” I smiled and nodded my head remembering this interaction. Had I really met a name everyone will know… As a child? I couldn’t even fathom the knowledge of that.

It was amazing how fast this kid grown up before my eyes. He shot up several inches over the past few years. I asked him if he’d mind getting photographed for the article to have pictures. Him and Pierce Murtagh both agreed. “Yeah… I’m fine with that. Just um, if I knew I’d worn something nicer!” I told him his everyday attire was fine. We got the photograph done before he elft and it turned out great. It was to be his first magazine cover, and I was happy that it was my magazine that got it. The two looked great and it looked like a wonderful cover to have Pierce Murtagh along with the mystery guest, Jasper Otterburn. I had scored an exclusive, I was sure my bosses would be thrilled. I thought this would be a great close for the end of summer issue and a great feature on our website.

I asked him if he would mind playing something on his violin for me. He nodded his head, but told me how he did not have his violin. Murtagh laughed at this and suggested using one of the ones in the office. I sent my secretary downstairs to the casings to retrieve one of the violins we were reviewing and have it brought up. I offered it to Pierce Murtagh first and he passed on it, insisting that I wait until the concert and encouraged Jasper to play. I asked him if it was okay for the office to listen, he seemed fine with it. I explained to my office that not a word of this would get out. I made them all put down their phones and cameras. We have a strong policy on leaks, and this was not a leak I wanted to be made.

Jasper Otterburn played the violin, one of Pierce Murtagh’s classics. The performance was simply… Amazing. This boy had talent. Both he and Pierce Murtagh had talent. I saw a young Pierce Murtagh in him. I and my office was in awe of the young boy. I realized right then I had made the right call to reserving tickets for my entire office. Luckily I have done it far enough in advance before names like Pavarotti announced he would be going, and even other great names.

Before Jasper and Pierce had to leave I asked him what he liked to do for fun outside of playing his violin. The answer was surprising! “Actually. I like rock climbing? Can you believe that? Pierce here thinks I’ll break my wrist one day from it.” He burst out into laughter over it. “You know what, Miss Willows?” I interrupted him and told him to call me Mindy. “If you call me Jay… Jass, or Jasper I will call you Mindy, Miss Willows. Anyways, I challenge you to the wall any day. I bet ya can’t beat me on the wall.” I laughed and thanked the two for their visit.

It was quite an enlightening experience that day I got to meet the two. I promised I’d be at their performance that was coming up in about a week and a half. And that I did. I arrived at Albert Royal Hall with my husband and kids, quite early, ready to attend the concert. It took a bit to get through security, but all was fine… It was curious why security was so tight. There was a great deal of paparazzi there, I recognized a great deal of colleagues outside the velvet ropes that were gazing in trying to get a story. When Queen Catherine arrived about a half an hour before the event the press went insane, but I wasn’t there to witness it. I was there in my great seat with my husband and kids, along with my assistant and many other persons from my office. Upon the stage it was explained the proceeds of the concert would go to charity, it named a few charities, but to be honest my mind wasn’t paying attention as I was far too excited chatting with my colleagues for this to start. Who had expected the queen to be there? It now made sense. But, I didn’t get to see the Queen’s arrival, my colleagues told me about this afterwards.

The curtain opened. I was in shock and awe. The concert, a benefit concert going to a good cause and featuring two great performers, announced the mystery guest. “We here at the Royal Albert Hall present to you the world renowned Pierce Murtagh… And his young prodigy Jasper Otterburn.” It opened up with a classic song. This piece was one of Pierce Murtagh’s masterpiece. It had existed for centuries but, Murtagh had made it his own decades ago. Applause ascended as it ended. The two wasted no time and were playing back and forth as if they were having a performance battle for the next part of their concert. Jasper broke off into a solo playing a piece from Orpheus and Erudice. Of all the pieces he had chosen to play Melodie. I and my others in the crowd found ourselves in tears from the soft unique perspective on the song that was filled with great sorrow. Jasper Otterburn made us feel sorrow. It made me remember listening to Melodie for the first time.

The young Jasper had his own taste to the classics, his own touch, it was simply the best performance I have seen in a long time. It was the best performance I have ever seen of that popular choice since being the editor of Musician’s Corner. In fact, the last time I heard the third piece they played performed so masterfully was when Pierce Murtagh performed it himself long ago. Pierce Murtagh bowed down to Jasper at the end of the battle, yielding to him, Jasper whom had rounded up more applause over the half an hour battle. “Oh, Jay my boy! You have bested me!” He gave a hearty chuckle. They broke into intermission, Jasper laid down his violin and jumped off the stage and ran to the front rows, great seats there. He gave a woman and a man a hug. I assumed it was his family.

I talked to others during the intermission. I came to an agreement with some of the spectors that the young Jasper Otterburn had clearly surpassed Pierce Murtagh. He was taught will, he rivaled the greats in skill. He was only fifteen. How was this possible? The first piece was a duo, their second and third pieces were battles. He won the battles, it was clear. People in the crowds were talking in hushed whispers. The crowd was constantly gazing up toward the skyboxes… To see Queen Catherine. We had expected the greats to come out to watch their colleague’s return. The press was out, so was a great number of influential people from across the world. The world wanted Pierce Murtagh back, it was clear.

The intermission ended. Jasper hopped back onto the stage using his arms to climb up instead of the stairs. He had a boyish grin on his face as he leaned back over the stage and nodded his head as he was talking to his family. With the return of the intermission a duet begun. A lively duet. Handel-Halvorsen’s Passacaglia. It was performed quite beautifully and masterfully by both. The rhythm could be felt down to the fiber of my bones. Somehow, the two of them had out performed each other from before… Making it even greater. It was clear, the audience knew it. I knew it. Pierce Murtagh was back. And Pierce Murtagh had competition. His discovery, his prodigy, Jasper Otterburn would shake the world of classical music as they knew it.

Suddenly, something happened. I stood up in disbelief. I gasped. Gasps were heard across the audience. Jasper Otterburn had dropped his violin. We were wondering what had happened. I was wondering what had happened. Pierce Murtagh sat down his violin on the stool and rushed over to Jasper Otterburn whom fell to the ground. The gasps grew louder, the crowd begun whispering and talking wondering what had happened. The people he was talking to during the intermission joined him on the stage, the man picked him up and carried him to the side of the stage, paramedics swarmed in the room. They laid him on a stretcher. Within twenty minutes he was being rolled out, through the crowd on the aisles. We were instructed to remain seated as Jasper Otterburn was escorted out. There was an apology. After another ten minutes passed the director had offered full refunds to those whom wished for one. The concert was called off, the final hour and half would not be played.

The family of Jasper Otterburn and Pierce Murtagh was nowhere to be seen, I had assumed they have gone to the hospital. I immediately got up, found the director asking for details about the hospital. My husband and kids piled into my car and I drove to the nearest hospital, seeking information. The press was already there asking questions. I pushed passed them and I recognized the woman he hugged when he jumped off the stage earlier. I made my way to her to recognize Pierce Murtagh. “Mr. Murtagh! I saw what happened. Is Jasper alright?” He gave a weak smile and turned to the woman. I was curious. Murtagh whispered something to the woman.

“Come with me,” she spoke and led Murtagh and I down the labyrinth of rooms in the hospital. I wanted to see this energetic sweet young man I had gotten a chance to get to know was doing alright. I didn’t find out too much information until I have found these familiar faces. She had also introduced herself as Eliška Otterburn. It was clear she was his mother. The resemblance was uncanny. I stood outside the room as instructed. I opened up my cell, texted my husband and told him to take the kids some place to eat. “Miss Willows? My son said you can come in. But, please. No pictures? He doesn’t like pictures.” I nodded my head and stepped into the room, closing my phone shut and putting it into my purse.

Before I had a chance to greet Jasper and ask if he were okay, he spoke to me first without missing a second. “Hello again, Miss Willows… I mean, Mindy.” I smiled when he spoke my name in a soft voice that seemed strained and weak. He gave a weak smile as he slowly sat up in his hospital bed. I saw him shirtless. I saw machines hooked up across him with electrodes, there was wiring on his chest. The scar, I knew he had heart surgery. I had asked what was wrong on an impulse reaction. I instantly wished I could take it back. I apologized and stated I had no right to pry. I was a reporter, but he was a kid… No older than my son, that was sick. I had no right.

He kept his smile and laughed. “It’s fine Miss Willows,” he spoke fully sitting up in his bed, his hands digging into the blanket across his lap. “You see, I have a bad heart… I’ve been on the heart transplant list for about a year now. But, I don’t let it get me down. It’s my tax. Being sick is my tax, the tax for my gift. It was all worth it. I’d rather to spend time being sick than trying to imagine my life without a violin.” His words… Wisdom behind him. At such a young age? I found this humbling. My heart ached for the boy. How could a boy wish so much talent… Be sick. Be dying? A year on the heart transplant list. If I remembered correctly, it took drastic measures to even consider heart transplantation. Waiting a year with a diseased heart? It seemed a miracle.

The young man was still cheerful and answered some other questions about his health. I decided not to include much of it out of concern for his own privacy. He did give me permission to tell a small part of what was going on, because he knew people would be curious. He gave me the exclusive, I was eternally grateful. I spent a half an hour talking to him about music, life, and school. “I go to a private school up north,” he gave a soft smile and simply said school was fun. He didn’t say what school, but, being himself I had no doubt he was in a private school which specialized in his talents. After his masterful performance that evening I was sure his name would be spoken across the world… After the collapse, he’d be headline news that evening, replacing the appearance of the Queen.

When I got back to the office I looked at the very beginnings of the article I was writing, of the interview and visit to my office. I was going to post it online in detail, but I pulled it, so it wouldn’t automatically post. I looked at the beginnings of the magazine. It hadn’t gone to print yet, I held it up for this article. I looked over the notes I had taken. I decided to pull the cover and the article for now. I had to give this a happy story. I needed a happy story, a story with a better ending. I decided to wait and see what was happening and if the young man would be okay. I hoped he would, I prayed he would. He got released from the hospital after about a week. I took it as a good sign.

I kept finding myself back in my office watching his performances over and over again. The news was still talking about his collapse and how there was no available information. Nobody had any details. No one source had an exclusive. My magazine was mentioned on the news, how Musician’s Corner scored an exclusive interview with the new young prodigy and Pierce Murtagh. There were signs of jealousy. But, my office was great. Not one leaked details of the story. I went through the photographs from back in July with them. I found one of him alone after Pierce Murtagh had messed up his hair. He had this boyish soft grin smile that was completely him, his face was full of happiness. I kept finding myself going back to that photograph. No instrument, not with Pierce Murtagh. Just him alone. I decided that should be our cover for September’s issue, as a way to wish him luck. I decided our cover should be simple.

This young man stuck on my mind. I couldn’t get him out of my head. I looked through some small articles from where he was from. I found someone named Jasper there whom was called a young prodigy by one of the local papers. But, no last name mentioned. He looked similar, just much, much, much younger even if it was only just over two years ago. The boy had grown a lot in a few years, so much that it was shocking.

After about a few days sitting on this article my assistant announced that an Eliška Otterburn was on the line. I instantly dropped my tablet and picked up my phone. I spoke and I Was invited down to the home. I rushed down to their home, canceling dinner plans with my husband. Their home was about three hours from where I lived. “They found a heart,” he spoke as soon as he saw me with one of the widest grins I have ever seen. I was pleased, overjoyed, and glad for him. I stayed for a few hours debating composers with him and his grandfather. He was having fun. It was the first time I met his full family, his father, his mother, he had a gaggle of cousins and siblings, his grandparents were lively. The room was full and overflowing with people all there to see him after his surgery.

I found myself in tears. From what I learned of the young man in our few meetings over the past month, I found him to be a wonderful young man who greatly deserved a new heart. I left, glad he was oaky. I went home, to make the three hour drive home to see my son, my daughter, and my husband. I was overjoyed for what I had. I sat in bed all night with my laptop open trying to type this very article, but, I was at a loss for words. How do I convey such a magical boy onto paper? I couldn’t catch his essence.

I came back to visit Japser Otterburn when he was in the hospital for a few days for post-complications. I wanted to make sure he was alright. He was just waking up, but his mind wasn’t exactly lucid because of the medications running through his veins. I came back every day to check up on him, making the long drive to the hospital, luckily it was closer. Before he was discharged he spoke, “Go ahead. Take a picture. This story’s yours. The rest of those vultures will find out soon enough anyway. One reporter called me stupid. I’m not stupid, I’m a squirrel. Small and resourceful.” He gave a grin and slowly removed his shirt. One of his cousins helped him with it and helped him stand up. I didn’t have a great camera on me. I only had my phone, but, that had to do. I snapped a few photographs as I walked with him around the hospital wing and put the phone away quickly as he fallen back into his bed.

One of his younger cousins had tripped on the wires across the room. He immediately sat back up to check if his cousin were okay. He was more worried about his cousin in that moment than himself. In fact, not once have I seen him worried about himself. He was always wondering and asking about how everyone else was doing. Last I heard he was getting ready to head back to school after a two month recovery period. The young man, Jasper Otterburn is a young prodigy that had left a mark on my soul. He gave the world an imprint. A master of violin, rivaling the greats. A great player, a sweet boy… He was an amazing fifteen year old.

It was one of my life’s greatest pleasures to meet this young man with a bright world ahead of him. This young man is what makes the world bright and what makes this job mean so much for me. If it hadn’t been for this, I would’ve never heard of the story of Jasper Otterburn and you all might’ve never have gotten the chance to read of my experiences with the young amazing prodigy. I have great hope we will see him once again. I hope all is well in his recovery, I will await for him. I’m sure the entire world awaits for his return to the stage. Young Jasper Otterburn has clearly become the center of this article instead of the world famous Pierce Murtagh. But, I couldn’t resist. I had to focus around the up and rising star. I have great faith one day he’d be back.

This was one of my life’s greatest pleasures. The entire short relationship I had with this young man was well worth it a thousand times over. He had touched my heart in ways I never could’ve imagined. I had no idea such a young man would walk into my office one day and steal my heart. There we have it, the September featured article of Murtagh versus Otterburn as promised. Jasper Otterburn, I’m sure you’re reading this: Happy sixteenth birthday from all of us here at Musician’s Corner, godspeed. I wish you the world and great health.

I’m waiting for you, Mr. Otterburn, we’re all waiting for your return,

xoxo – Mindy Willows
Editor-in-Chief

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