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Archive of Five Words Stories - Volume XI, Story #114
Potteraholic Wed Aug 10, 2011 5:25 pm
This story was first posted by Potteraholic - Oct 9, 2009 12:51 am (#1779 of 2999) on the World Crossing home of the 'Harry Potter Lexicon Forum'.
1st September 1970
Dear Tuney,
My first day at Hogwarts was very busy. The journey from Kings Cross was very long. Severus and I had some delicious pumpkin pasties and chocolate frogs. We found some amazing, magical cards inside the wrapping. They were pictures of famous witches and wizards. Guess what these pictures can do? They scratch their noses and yawn! One even winked at me in a very cheeky way. Severus says I should collect the full set of cards. He's got some doubles he can give me to get me started. He's a mine of information on all magical things. He's a good friend.
But guess what! We had to be sorted into houses; there are four: Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. Severus is in Slytherin, and I'm Gryffindor along with a horrible, big-headed prat and his equally arrogant friend. The feast started immediately after the Sorting, and food suddenly appeared on the table. I could hardly believe my eyes. There were so many platters! Heaps and heaps of delicious food. I just didn't know what to choose, so I had a little of everything.
I also met a girl called Mary MacDonald. We are roommates. Our bedroom is right above the common room, in the tower of the Gryffindor part of the castle. There are ghosts, too! Each house has one. Ours is called Nearly Headless Nick, but he really doesn't like being called that. Anyway, I'd better get to bed soon. Tomorrow classes will start! My first class is Charms. I look forward to trying my new wand. Write back soon.
Love,
Lily
P.S. From the train station we took little boats to the castle. It was a bit scary because it was already dark. Severus and Hagrid, a nice man and the tallest I've ever seen — he must be about seven feet at least — were in my boat, and they helped me feel braver.
Goodbye!
10th September 1970
Dear Lily,
A horrible, shabby bird delivered your letter and nearly put its beak in my porridge.
In London, Mum bought me chocolates from Fortnum & Mason and when we got home, she and Dad let me watch all my favorite shows on television and we had lots of fun.
I don't know how you can believe all that nonsense about ghosts! Don't you realize they're older students? They're just teasing you and trying to frighten you. Don't let those freaks play tricks on you, Lily! And I hope you'll stop hanging around with that awful boy, although the other prats in your class may not be much better. Try to find other friends! He's not someone you should even talk to. I told Mum and Dad about how horrible he was to me that day by the swings. They said he must've been shy. I still think he's just horrible. You'd be better off getting to know some nice, normal girls instead, like that Mary MacDonald.
There's a new boy in my class. He's from Australia and he has a pet kangaroo! I want to invite him 'round for tea soon. Mum thinks it's a good idea. I'm sure he'll invite me 'round to his house to meet his menagerie of animals. He's got a koala bear and an emu, too!
About your classes, make sure they're not a hoax. Charms?! Do you learn anything useful there? I seriously doubt it!
Did you meet Professor Dumbledore? Remember what I asked you to tell him? Perhaps he has changed his mind since he wrote that letter to me earlier in the holidays. Well, I've changed my mind. I would not want to go to your school even if they begged me to. I prefer normal people to freaks showing gross abnormalities and wearing unfashionable clothing! My school is far better anyway. I'd think you would do much better if you gave up this dangerous and mad school and came home! Of course, you'd need to go to an excellent school like mine! Wouldn't that be fun?
Love, your totally normal sister,
Petunia
12th September 1970
Petunia,
How dare you insult my school! Just because you couldn't get into Hogwarts doesn't mean you can say mean and horrible things about it! And as for coming back home? And going to your school?! I wouldn't go there if it were the last school on Earth! Pet kangaroos indeed! I'm really surprised that you are willing to believe such nonsense when you flatly refuse to believe the magic you've seen with your very own eyes.
I didn't get a chance to speak to Professor Dumbledore, by the way. I'm glad about it. You needn't worry that he'll change his mind and invite you to come to Hogwarts after all. So you'd better leave my friends and things you know nothing about, alone.
And if you don't stop, I'll let Chrysanthemum, my darling toad, into your underwear drawer to hop through your things. You wouldn't like to have small footprints all over your clean knickers, would you? (Chrysanthemum was a present from Severus for being a good friend.)
So, be nice, or you know the consequence.
Your very magical sister,
Lily
* Five Words – Volume 11 Index *
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
Potty Five Words: "Dear Sisters"
1st September 1970
Dear Tuney,
My first day at Hogwarts was very busy. The journey from Kings Cross was very long. Severus and I had some delicious pumpkin pasties and chocolate frogs. We found some amazing, magical cards inside the wrapping. They were pictures of famous witches and wizards. Guess what these pictures can do? They scratch their noses and yawn! One even winked at me in a very cheeky way. Severus says I should collect the full set of cards. He's got some doubles he can give me to get me started. He's a mine of information on all magical things. He's a good friend.
But guess what! We had to be sorted into houses; there are four: Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. Severus is in Slytherin, and I'm Gryffindor along with a horrible, big-headed prat and his equally arrogant friend. The feast started immediately after the Sorting, and food suddenly appeared on the table. I could hardly believe my eyes. There were so many platters! Heaps and heaps of delicious food. I just didn't know what to choose, so I had a little of everything.
I also met a girl called Mary MacDonald. We are roommates. Our bedroom is right above the common room, in the tower of the Gryffindor part of the castle. There are ghosts, too! Each house has one. Ours is called Nearly Headless Nick, but he really doesn't like being called that. Anyway, I'd better get to bed soon. Tomorrow classes will start! My first class is Charms. I look forward to trying my new wand. Write back soon.
Love,
Lily
P.S. From the train station we took little boats to the castle. It was a bit scary because it was already dark. Severus and Hagrid, a nice man and the tallest I've ever seen — he must be about seven feet at least — were in my boat, and they helped me feel braver.
Goodbye!
10th September 1970
Dear Lily,
A horrible, shabby bird delivered your letter and nearly put its beak in my porridge.
In London, Mum bought me chocolates from Fortnum & Mason and when we got home, she and Dad let me watch all my favorite shows on television and we had lots of fun.
I don't know how you can believe all that nonsense about ghosts! Don't you realize they're older students? They're just teasing you and trying to frighten you. Don't let those freaks play tricks on you, Lily! And I hope you'll stop hanging around with that awful boy, although the other prats in your class may not be much better. Try to find other friends! He's not someone you should even talk to. I told Mum and Dad about how horrible he was to me that day by the swings. They said he must've been shy. I still think he's just horrible. You'd be better off getting to know some nice, normal girls instead, like that Mary MacDonald.
There's a new boy in my class. He's from Australia and he has a pet kangaroo! I want to invite him 'round for tea soon. Mum thinks it's a good idea. I'm sure he'll invite me 'round to his house to meet his menagerie of animals. He's got a koala bear and an emu, too!
About your classes, make sure they're not a hoax. Charms?! Do you learn anything useful there? I seriously doubt it!
Did you meet Professor Dumbledore? Remember what I asked you to tell him? Perhaps he has changed his mind since he wrote that letter to me earlier in the holidays. Well, I've changed my mind. I would not want to go to your school even if they begged me to. I prefer normal people to freaks showing gross abnormalities and wearing unfashionable clothing! My school is far better anyway. I'd think you would do much better if you gave up this dangerous and mad school and came home! Of course, you'd need to go to an excellent school like mine! Wouldn't that be fun?
Love, your totally normal sister,
Petunia
12th September 1970
Petunia,
How dare you insult my school! Just because you couldn't get into Hogwarts doesn't mean you can say mean and horrible things about it! And as for coming back home? And going to your school?! I wouldn't go there if it were the last school on Earth! Pet kangaroos indeed! I'm really surprised that you are willing to believe such nonsense when you flatly refuse to believe the magic you've seen with your very own eyes.
I didn't get a chance to speak to Professor Dumbledore, by the way. I'm glad about it. You needn't worry that he'll change his mind and invite you to come to Hogwarts after all. So you'd better leave my friends and things you know nothing about, alone.
And if you don't stop, I'll let Chrysanthemum, my darling toad, into your underwear drawer to hop through your things. You wouldn't like to have small footprints all over your clean knickers, would you? (Chrysanthemum was a present from Severus for being a good friend.)
So, be nice, or you know the consequence.
Your very magical sister,
Lily
This series of letters was later continued in Volume XII, and can be found here.
* Five Words – Volume 11 Index *
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
| * Five Words - Main Archives * |
| * Five Words - Stories Index (by topic) * |
Last edited by Potteraholic on Sat Aug 13, 2011 7:33 pm; edited 3 times in total
Potteraholic- Ravenclaw Prefect
- Posts : 4241
Join date : 2011-02-18
Location : USA
Archive of Five Words Stories - Volume XI, Story #114 stats
Potteraholic Wed Aug 10, 2011 5:31 pm
These stats were first posted by Potteraholic - Oct 9, 2009 12:52 am (#1780 of 2999) on the World Crossing home of the 'Harry Potter Lexicon Forum'.
Statistics for Story 114
ordered by first contribution to the story
The user in red is the rightful starter of the next story. They are welcome to pass on the privilege to the user who posted the second most number of times, who may in turn pass it to the user who posted the third number of times in the story, and so forth.
Total Submissions: 172
Total Words: 860
Last Submission Date: #1777, Oct 7, 2009, 9:34 pm (Potteraholic)
Total Time to Create Story: 7 days, 20 hours, and 30 minutes
* Five Words – Volume 11 Index *
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
Statistics for Story 114
ordered by first contribution to the story
User | # of Submissions |
| Potteraholic | 56 |
| mona amon | 20 |
| Julia H. | 44 |
| legolas returns | 26 |
| Verity Weasley | 24 |
| Dryleaves | 2 |
Total Submissions: 172
Total Words: 860
Last Submission Date: #1777, Oct 7, 2009, 9:34 pm (Potteraholic)
Total Time to Create Story: 7 days, 20 hours, and 30 minutes
* Five Words – Volume 11 Index *
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
| * Five Words - Main Archives * |
| * Five Words - Stories Index (by topic) * |
Potteraholic- Ravenclaw Prefect
- Posts : 4241
Join date : 2011-02-18
Location : USA
Archive of Five Words Stories - Volume XI, Story #114 post-story comments
Potteraholic Wed Aug 10, 2011 5:32 pm
These post-story comments were first posted by Potteraholic - Nov 24, 2010 7:07 am (#2946 of 2960) [Edited Dec 13, 2010 7 am] on the World Crossing home of the 'Harry Potter Lexicon Forum'.
Post-Story Comments for Story #114, Volume XI,
Potty Five Words: "Dear Sisters"
This story was written from September 30, 2009 to October 7, 2009. Six writers contributed to the story, which is 860 words long. Four of the six writers posted feedback.
- Potteraholic, Oct 9, 2009 1:08 am: Writing these letters from Lily to Petunia and vice versa was quite fun. Finding ways to include canon information, while inventing completely new plot details, was very entertaining. And because of their short length, it made it easier to keep track of what was going on in them and not get tripped up over plot details. Well, almost.
- Verity Weasley, Oct 9, 2009 2:22 am: The last story was fun, and it would be easy to pick it up and continue the series of letters at another time.
- mona amon, Oct 9, 2009 3:39 am: The last story was great fun. I was a bit disappointed when I woke up in the morning to find the story already completed and the thread closed, but utterly delighted to find that Freckles had somehow morphed into Chrysanthemum while I was sleeping. ROFL!
P.S. Great title for the last story, PAH, as usual!
- Julia H., Oct 9, 2009 4:18 am: The last story was fun to write. Lily seems to be better at structuring her letters than Tuney.
Great title!
* Five Words – Volume 11 Index *
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
Post-Story Comments for Story #114, Volume XI,
Potty Five Words: "Dear Sisters"
This story was written from September 30, 2009 to October 7, 2009. Six writers contributed to the story, which is 860 words long. Four of the six writers posted feedback.
- Potteraholic, Oct 9, 2009 1:08 am: Writing these letters from Lily to Petunia and vice versa was quite fun. Finding ways to include canon information, while inventing completely new plot details, was very entertaining. And because of their short length, it made it easier to keep track of what was going on in them and not get tripped up over plot details. Well, almost.
- Verity Weasley, Oct 9, 2009 2:22 am: The last story was fun, and it would be easy to pick it up and continue the series of letters at another time.
- mona amon, Oct 9, 2009 3:39 am: The last story was great fun. I was a bit disappointed when I woke up in the morning to find the story already completed and the thread closed, but utterly delighted to find that Freckles had somehow morphed into Chrysanthemum while I was sleeping. ROFL!
P.S. Great title for the last story, PAH, as usual!
- Julia H., Oct 9, 2009 4:18 am: The last story was fun to write. Lily seems to be better at structuring her letters than Tuney.
Great title!
* Five Words – Volume 11 Index *
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
| * Five Words - Main Archives * |
| * Five Words - Stories Index (by topic) * |
Last edited by Potteraholic on Mon Aug 15, 2011 8:29 am; edited 1 time in total
Potteraholic- Ravenclaw Prefect
- Posts : 4241
Join date : 2011-02-18
Location : USA
Potty Game: Five Words, Happy Birthday! Year 4
Potteraholic Wed Aug 10, 2011 7:58 pm
This post was originally made by Potteraholic - Oct 9, 2009 1:08 am (#1781 of 2999)
Potty Game: Five Words!
Five Words is four years old today! It happens some time on October 9, 2005, even though the first ever Five Words post, written by the thread’s creator and Compiler Emeritus, Finn BV, clocks in on October 10, 2005, 2:17 am. The time discrepancy is due to the fact that the Forum clock has changed at various times over the past four years, recalibrating the time stamps on many posts here. Note: All the anniversary smileys are care of Finn, from his previous anniversary messages. Just wanted to keep the anniversary post looking somewhat the same! 
The following are the words of the inimitable Finn and can be found in these three previous anniversary messages: Year 1, Year 2 1/2, and Year 3.
Since our existence, we have had dozens of members of the Harry Potter Lexicon FanFiction Forum partake in this simple yet endlessly enjoyable game. In the game, there are no boundaries, save that you must add five words, no more and no less (though there are always mistakes), to your post that continue the story told through other members' five words. Strung together, the five words will make a much, much longer story.
Please take some time to reminisce about the history of the Five Words from our 1-year birthday celebration of October 9, 2006. This little tidbit, once again, is STILL true, to the best of my knowledge… : We invented the "Potty Five Words Crown," given to the poster who held the record for most number of posts in a story; the crown, I believe, is still currently retained by Tazzygirl (Kristina), with a thrilling 176 posts in the story "Just Another Week at the Ministry" on April 23, 2006.
I started playing Five Words nearly 2 years ago and am so glad that Finn started this thread way back in October 2005. I wish I had been here from the start, but am happy to have found this thread in November 2007. I have had so much fun playing this game over the past 2 years, participating in the creation of some truly entertaining and amazing stories which have delved into all corners of the HP universe. In January 2008, I started helping out Finn and Tazzygirl with compiling some of the stories and posting the official stories and statistics online. Compiling a story involves typing it up, checking it for grammatical and spelling errors, counting its words, tallying its statistics, and formatting it correctly. In the summer of 2008, while I was abroad for much of the summer, PatPat came on board, helping out with the various compiling duties, as Finn and Tazzygirl's schedules made it difficult for them to participate in and monitor the thread as frequently as they had done in the past. In October of 2008, Finn "formally pass[ed] over reins of the thread" to me and it was around this time that Kip asked PatPat and me to become Hosts on the FFF.
PatPat has been an invaluable help here on Five Words. I can't imagine the past year of Five Words without her sage advice and thoughtful feedback about various changes introduced last year. And, of course, I must thank Kip Carter for all his kind support through the years I have been a Five Worder. Thanks, Kip, for always updating the header whenever I put in a request in the 'Questions to the Host' thread, for making many edits to my posts as requested, and for thinking that I was *gulp* Moderator/Host material.
And now, as we reach the fourth year of Five Words, traditions calls for us to play ultimate Five Words. What's that, you ask? For this entire story, instead of posting the customary five words, we get to play more words! How 'bout we post... TWELVE WORDS! That's right! Why 12 words? Well, when I think of this beloved series written by JKR, I always think of a trio: HRH, HDS (Harry, Dumbledore, Snape), HSV (Harry, Snape Voldemort), ... the list goes on. And then, this is the 4th anniversary of Five Words. So 3 x 4 = 12. See?
In the past, we've gotten to play 10 words and 15 words. We couldn't just keep going at that rate, could we? Imagine 20 (25, 30, 35...) words at a time?
* "My advice to all that we keep this story slightly on the short side in terms of posts, because it's going to get almost three times as long in the same amount of time. Think of everything you can do with twelve words! The possibilities to extend an idea are endless. But, please, before, hitting "Post Message," count your words to see if they add up to twelve. Please double check. It will help.
Let the festivities begin, and thank you for staying by Five Words!" *
* NOTE: This last paragraph borrowed heavily from Finn’s message written on October 10, 2008, 4:08 a.m.
* Five Words – Volume 11 Index *
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
Potty Game: Five Words!
Five Words is four years old today! It happens some time on October 9, 2005, even though the first ever Five Words post, written by the thread’s creator and Compiler Emeritus, Finn BV, clocks in on October 10, 2005, 2:17 am. The time discrepancy is due to the fact that the Forum clock has changed at various times over the past four years, recalibrating the time stamps on many posts here. Note: All the anniversary smileys are care of Finn, from his previous anniversary messages. Just wanted to keep the anniversary post looking somewhat the same! The following are the words of the inimitable Finn and can be found in these three previous anniversary messages: Year 1, Year 2 1/2, and Year 3.
Since our existence, we have had dozens of members of the Harry Potter Lexicon FanFiction Forum partake in this simple yet endlessly enjoyable game. In the game, there are no boundaries, save that you must add five words, no more and no less (though there are always mistakes), to your post that continue the story told through other members' five words. Strung together, the five words will make a much, much longer story.
Please take some time to reminisce about the history of the Five Words from our 1-year birthday celebration of October 9, 2006. This little tidbit, once again, is STILL true, to the best of my knowledge… : We invented the "Potty Five Words Crown," given to the poster who held the record for most number of posts in a story; the crown, I believe, is still currently retained by Tazzygirl (Kristina), with a thrilling 176 posts in the story "Just Another Week at the Ministry" on April 23, 2006.
—Finn BV, October 10, 2008, 4:08 a.m.
I started playing Five Words nearly 2 years ago and am so glad that Finn started this thread way back in October 2005. I wish I had been here from the start, but am happy to have found this thread in November 2007. I have had so much fun playing this game over the past 2 years, participating in the creation of some truly entertaining and amazing stories which have delved into all corners of the HP universe. In January 2008, I started helping out Finn and Tazzygirl with compiling some of the stories and posting the official stories and statistics online. Compiling a story involves typing it up, checking it for grammatical and spelling errors, counting its words, tallying its statistics, and formatting it correctly. In the summer of 2008, while I was abroad for much of the summer, PatPat came on board, helping out with the various compiling duties, as Finn and Tazzygirl's schedules made it difficult for them to participate in and monitor the thread as frequently as they had done in the past. In October of 2008, Finn "formally pass[ed] over reins of the thread" to me and it was around this time that Kip asked PatPat and me to become Hosts on the FFF.
PatPat has been an invaluable help here on Five Words. I can't imagine the past year of Five Words without her sage advice and thoughtful feedback about various changes introduced last year. And, of course, I must thank Kip Carter for all his kind support through the years I have been a Five Worder. Thanks, Kip, for always updating the header whenever I put in a request in the 'Questions to the Host' thread, for making many edits to my posts as requested, and for thinking that I was *gulp* Moderator/Host material.
And now, as we reach the fourth year of Five Words, traditions calls for us to play ultimate Five Words. What's that, you ask? For this entire story, instead of posting the customary five words, we get to play more words! How 'bout we post... TWELVE WORDS! That's right! Why 12 words? Well, when I think of this beloved series written by JKR, I always think of a trio: HRH, HDS (Harry, Dumbledore, Snape), HSV (Harry, Snape Voldemort), ... the list goes on. And then, this is the 4th anniversary of Five Words. So 3 x 4 = 12. See?
In the past, we've gotten to play 10 words and 15 words. We couldn't just keep going at that rate, could we? Imagine 20 (25, 30, 35...) words at a time?
* "My advice to all that we keep this story slightly on the short side in terms of posts, because it's going to get almost three times as long in the same amount of time. Think of everything you can do with twelve words! The possibilities to extend an idea are endless. But, please, before, hitting "Post Message," count your words to see if they add up to twelve. Please double check. It will help.
Let the festivities begin, and thank you for staying by Five Words!" *
* NOTE: This last paragraph borrowed heavily from Finn’s message written on October 10, 2008, 4:08 a.m.
—Potteraholic, Oct 9, 2009 1:08 am
* Five Words – Volume 11 Index *
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
| * Five Words - Main Archives * |
| * Five Words - Stories Index (by topic) * |
Last edited by Potteraholic on Mon Aug 15, 2011 8:30 am; edited 1 time in total
Potteraholic- Ravenclaw Prefect
- Posts : 4241
Join date : 2011-02-18
Location : USA
Archive of Five Words Stories - Volume XI, Story #115
Potteraholic Wed Aug 10, 2011 8:00 pm
This story was first posted by Potteraholic - Oct 26, 2009 6:45 am (#1976 of 2999) on the World Crossing home of the 'Harry Potter Lexicon Forum'.
"Harry! Dudley’s sent you a letter!" Ginny called from the front door. She waved once more to the Muggle postman, then turned and headed back inside.
Harry hurried downstairs. "Where is he now? Last week, he told me he'd be coming to London on business. Maybe we should invite him to tea! It's been ages since we last met and I'd like to hear more about how he's coping with the magical relatives he's acquired." Harry and Ginny smiled reminiscently. About a year ago Dudley had invited them to his wedding, where a most startling revelation had occurred. It seemed that Dudley's new bride, Gertrude, had magic in her family. Dudley had taken the news much better than his parents and it had brought him and Harry a little closer.
"What does Dudley have to say?" Ginny asked, following Harry into the living room.
But Harry had just begun reading Dudley's letter, and slowly his face clouded over. "He's invited us out to dinner, with Gertrude... and his aunt. It seems there is some sort of problem which they think we can help them with."
"His aunt? That horrible woman, Aunt Marge?" Ginny exclaimed. "The one you—"
"No," Harry interrupted. "It's really Gertrude's aunt, Greta. Anyway, Dudley's pretty vague here, I'm not entirely sure what the problems is... Well, I suppose we'll find out tomorrow when we meet the in this Muggle restaurant called—"
"Why don't we invite them here?" Ginny asked. "Mum and Dad are busy tomorrow night, and won't be able to look after the children. And Dudley has never been to our house before."
"You're right," said Harry. "I'll send him an owl, asking him to come here instead."
"That's settled then," Ginny said. "I'll go ask Kreacher what he thinks we should serve for dinner." Ginny hurried away to the kitchen, leaving Harry looking thoughtful. What could Dudley's problem be? he wondered. After writing a response to Dudley, he summoned Zephyr, the family owl, and sent the message on its way.
The following evening, all five Potters were assembled in the living room, waiting for their visitors. Kreacher was hovering near the front door, anxious to make a good impression. His spotlessly clean white toga gleamed in the dim light spilling from the kitchen. The instant the doorbell rang, Kreacher sprang forward to open the door. Dudley and Gertrude stood on the doorstep.
"Welcome to the House of Potter," croaked Kreacher as he bowed deferentially to them.
Harry and Ginny went over to greet them and Gertrude’s Aunt Greta. "Won't you come in and sit down?" Ginny offered warmly. They all settled themselves in the comfy chairs in the living room, while Kreacher bustled in with a tray of tea and cookies. They ate in silence, Dudley tapping his foot nervously, while Gertrude and Greta looked about the room.
"You have a lovely house," Greta began.
"Er, Harry," Dudley interjected. "Perhaps you could give us a tour." He flicked his eyes meaningfully toward the children, who were gaping at the guests with undisguised curiosity.
"Yes," Greta agreed. "I'd love to see it, Harry."
"Yes, of course," Harry answered. "I'll show you around the house, and then we can have dinner." He proceeded to the door, followed by Dudley, Gertrude, and Greta. Ginny ushered the children upstairs, indicating to Harry that she would join them shortly.
But no sooner had they reached the garden than Dudley turned to Harry and said, "We've got a very serious problem. I think you are the only one who can solve it. Remember those Dementors? From years back? Aunt Greta wonders if any still exist… if they could… maybe… still be floating around somewhere? In England? Or abroad?"
"Harry, let me explain," Aunt Greta said. "Last Thursday, I was returning home after attending the Shropshire Cheese Society's annual convention, flying on my broomstick just above the Muggle neighborhood near my home."
"Hello again," said Ginny, rejoining the group. Greta filled her in on everything she had missed, while Harry waited impatiently. "What happened next?" Ginny prompted, sensing Harry's eagerness to hear more.
"As I began making my descent into the woods that border my back garden, I thought I saw a dark shape moving among the trees. It was unsettling. It filled me with such dread... I immediately Apparated... in mid-air!"
"Did you feel cold, or feel that you would never be happy again?" Ginny asked.
"Did you tell anyone at the Ministry of Magic?" asked Harry.
"Not yet. This is why Dudley suggested I come to you first, to see if I should," explained Greta anxiously. "I hope I'm not wasting your time with my concerns!"
"I'm glad you came," Harry replied. "And the answer to Ginny's question... what is it? It would really help me to determine if it was truly a Dementor, or... something else."
Greta nodded. "Dudley told me about what happened when you both got attacked all those years ago. It felt like I was out on a cold winter's day, that warm July afternoon, and that all happy thoughts and good feelings were being drained out of me." She shuddered at the memory. Harry and Ginny exchanged meaningful glances.
"That certainly sounds like a Dementor," said Harry. "I'm glad you were able to get away and tell me your story. I will certainly notify the Ministry. After the war, all Dementors were magically banished to an uninhabited island far from humans and they were prevented from leaving."
"A team of witches and wizards worked together creating a powerful spell that fed them an equivalent of human emotion so that they didn't want to leave," explained Ginny. After catching her breath, she said, "It must need to be strengthened or renewed. The consequences of it not working? They won't be good, that's for sure."
Gertrude looked alarmed. "Shouldn't something be done immediately? Dudley's been a nervous wreck ever since Aunt Greta told us what happened." She looked from one to the other, stretched out her hand, took Dudley's in hers, and squeezed it gently.
Harry found it odd that a Dementor could leave the island without someone from the Ministry noticing. He had helped to design the protective spell himself, along with Hermione, Padma, and a few others. That spell couldn't have weakened by itself, he thought. Was it possible that someone had intentionally removed it, allowing the Dementors to return to Britain? But who'd do that? Seeing Gertrude's worried expresssion, Harry said, "I'll notify the Ministry immediately. We're very efficient now, and I'm sure we'll solve the problem very quickly. There is probably nothing to worry about. I’d surely have heard something from Hermione by now if there was. Now how about some dinner?"
"Are you sure there's nothing to worry about?" Greta asked.
"I will personally check it myself to ensure that there is nothing the Department of Dementor Control can't handle," Harry assured her. "Now, let's go back inside. There's nothing much to see in the garden as everything is overgrown and the children de-gnomed it before you came."
"Yes," Ginny agreed. "Kreacher has really outdone himself and prepared a wonderful feast with a wide choice of dishes including Dudley's all time favorite, Beef Wellington."
"Beef Wellie?" Dudley exclaimed. "Perfect!" All thoughts of Dementors disappeared from his mind as he pictured the tender beef. "Come on, let's go inside, everyone!" He smiled and urged the others ahead, then turned back towards the house and quickly went inside.
As they entered, Kreacher cheerfully announced, "Dinner is served!"
James, Albus, and Lily Potter were sitting at the table already. James wore a slightly guilty expression, and it was clear that he had helped himself to a morsel from one of the three very delicious-looking cakes waiting to be served as dessert on the nearby sideboard.
"James, remember what I told you," Ginny cautioned her eldest son, who looked increasingly uncomfortable as Kreacher let out a small squeak of dismay. However, no one said anything more about it. Everyone soon became busy passing around the serving dishes.
"Dudley, would you like some gravy with your beef?" said Lily, passing him the gravy boat.
"Thank you," said Dudley, enthusiastically. "Like I always tell Mum, the gravy's the best part. And that reminds me of a very funny story." He turned to Gertrude. "Do you remember, Trudie?" he asked. "That time... my parents were at ours for lunch? Your Uncle Elfred dropped by and mentioned that he found hundreds of dead puffyskins in the cupboard under the stairs. Remember?"
"Dudley, dear, it's puffskeins," Gertrude smiled. "You're nearly as bad as your father! He turned purple when I told him that it was flobberworms eating all your mum's lettuce, not flabbyworms."
"Yes he didn't seem overly pleased to be told that!" said Dudley chuckling heartily. "And Mum certainly didn't want to hear about flobberworms in the garden. I think she wanted to get the exterminators in to wipe out the whole lot."
"Anyway," Gertrude reminded Dudley. "Dear Uncle Elfred told your dad that puffskeins pick children's noses and drink toilet water, and offered to get him one for a pet."
"Dad looked like he had swallowed a particularly hairy caterpillar!" Dudley reminisced, "And Mum started and knocked over her wine glass!"
"It was the finest elf-made wine. Anyway, your mum looked really pale and unsteady on her feet and she didn't start cleaning up the spill right away," Gertrude explained. "But she seemed just a little envious when Uncle Elfred siphoned it up with his wand."
Dudley nodded in agreement. "I think she'd almost wished she could do magic herself."
"Really?" asked Harry incredulously. "I can't imagine why! She was horrible to me, and my mum, because we were magical! Puffskeins in a cupboard under the stairs are nothing, believe me, in comparison to being locked in for doing magic you can't control." Harry's words brought the dinner chatter to a stop.
"Sorry, Harry," Dudley murmured, a look of anguish spreading over his face as the realization of the torment Harry had suffered at the hands of his parents took effect. His eyes filled with tears, and he sickened at the thought.
"I know you're sorry, mate," Harry replied softly, with a kind smile, "and I'm glad you and I could become friends, in spite of your parents' prejudice against magic and the despicable treatment that I received from them. Think about it, Dudley. Their prejudices kept us from becoming childhood friends... and we could have grown up as brothers!"
Harry looked at Dudley, then turned his gaze to James and Albus. They were following the conversation with interest, forks suspended in mid-air, food temporarily left untouched. Harry knew that despite their frequent fights and petty jealousies they were very fond of each other, and he was filled with joy and fatherly pride at the thought that their childhood was so much happier and more loving and secure than his own had been.
The momentary silence was broken by a strange hiccupping sound. "I wish Mum'd spoken properly to you that day," Dudley began.
"What day?" Ginny asked, looking slightly bewildered.
"W-well," stuttered Dudley, trying in vain to hide the tears spilling from the corners of his eyes, "the d-day Harry left our home forever. If only Mum had said something! I know now, that she wishes she had."
"What did Auntie Petunia want to tell Daddy?" asked Lily curiously.
"She wanted to wish him luck," Dudley replied earnestly. "She just couldn't bring herself to say it. It was a step too far for her given the circumstances at the time."
"Maybe she can wish Daddy good luck now?" Lily suggested. "It might make her feel better. Would you like that, Daddy?"
Harry was so stunned that his ability to verbalize what he felt temporarily left him speechless. He looked at Ginny, who shrugged and nodded encouragingly at him.
"That's quite a nice suggestion, Lily. Perhaps it could bring us all together," Dudley said quietly.
"I agree," Ginny said. "There was a falling-out with my older brother, Percy, which resulted in my family not speaking to him for a few years. But after we talked, things improved significantly and eventually returned to almost how they were before the argument."
"I've got an idea," Gertrude said, excitedly. "Have dinner at our place next Saturday evening! It's our anniversary, and it's about time your mum and dad saw our new place" she said turning to Dudley.
"Trudie, that's brilliant!" Dudley exclaimed.
"So your mum can taste my cooking again and realize that you’re not starving to death."
Harry cleared his throat. "Gertrude, Dudley, I appreciate your efforts at bringing about a reconciliation. However, I'm not sure if I'm ready for this. I don't want to force things. I'm sure Aunt Petunia will let me know on her own when she's ready for a reconciliation. After all, just admitting that she thinks she should have wished me luck is an enormous mindshift."
No one spoke for a few minutes. Then Albus said, "Dad, I think you're quite right. But let's go to Dudley's for dinner anyway since you are friends now. I would really like to see their house. Uncle Ron says they have something called a fellytone, which lets you hear what other people are shouting to you from really far away. Do they not have owl post or howlers when they are..." Albus paused. "Anyway, Dad, you're always reminding us about our choices, right?"
Harry smiled at this gentle remonstration from his son, reminded of another Albus he knew and loved many years before. "You're right, Albus."
Nodding, Albus looked around at the assembled throng. "I knew you'd make the right choice, Dad," he said, his eyes shining. "Uncle Dudley is family because he wanted to be, right? Auntie Petunia's got to make the same choice."
"Yes, Albus Severus," Harry replied. "She'll get her second chance."
* Five Words – Volume 11 Index *
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
| FW - Year 4! |
Potty Five Words: "The 3 Ds: Dursleys, Dementors, and Dinner"
"Harry! Dudley’s sent you a letter!" Ginny called from the front door. She waved once more to the Muggle postman, then turned and headed back inside.
Harry hurried downstairs. "Where is he now? Last week, he told me he'd be coming to London on business. Maybe we should invite him to tea! It's been ages since we last met and I'd like to hear more about how he's coping with the magical relatives he's acquired." Harry and Ginny smiled reminiscently. About a year ago Dudley had invited them to his wedding, where a most startling revelation had occurred. It seemed that Dudley's new bride, Gertrude, had magic in her family. Dudley had taken the news much better than his parents and it had brought him and Harry a little closer.
"What does Dudley have to say?" Ginny asked, following Harry into the living room.
But Harry had just begun reading Dudley's letter, and slowly his face clouded over. "He's invited us out to dinner, with Gertrude... and his aunt. It seems there is some sort of problem which they think we can help them with."
"His aunt? That horrible woman, Aunt Marge?" Ginny exclaimed. "The one you—"
"No," Harry interrupted. "It's really Gertrude's aunt, Greta. Anyway, Dudley's pretty vague here, I'm not entirely sure what the problems is... Well, I suppose we'll find out tomorrow when we meet the in this Muggle restaurant called—"
"Why don't we invite them here?" Ginny asked. "Mum and Dad are busy tomorrow night, and won't be able to look after the children. And Dudley has never been to our house before."
"You're right," said Harry. "I'll send him an owl, asking him to come here instead."
"That's settled then," Ginny said. "I'll go ask Kreacher what he thinks we should serve for dinner." Ginny hurried away to the kitchen, leaving Harry looking thoughtful. What could Dudley's problem be? he wondered. After writing a response to Dudley, he summoned Zephyr, the family owl, and sent the message on its way.
The following evening, all five Potters were assembled in the living room, waiting for their visitors. Kreacher was hovering near the front door, anxious to make a good impression. His spotlessly clean white toga gleamed in the dim light spilling from the kitchen. The instant the doorbell rang, Kreacher sprang forward to open the door. Dudley and Gertrude stood on the doorstep.
"Welcome to the House of Potter," croaked Kreacher as he bowed deferentially to them.
Harry and Ginny went over to greet them and Gertrude’s Aunt Greta. "Won't you come in and sit down?" Ginny offered warmly. They all settled themselves in the comfy chairs in the living room, while Kreacher bustled in with a tray of tea and cookies. They ate in silence, Dudley tapping his foot nervously, while Gertrude and Greta looked about the room.
"You have a lovely house," Greta began.
"Er, Harry," Dudley interjected. "Perhaps you could give us a tour." He flicked his eyes meaningfully toward the children, who were gaping at the guests with undisguised curiosity.
"Yes," Greta agreed. "I'd love to see it, Harry."
"Yes, of course," Harry answered. "I'll show you around the house, and then we can have dinner." He proceeded to the door, followed by Dudley, Gertrude, and Greta. Ginny ushered the children upstairs, indicating to Harry that she would join them shortly.
But no sooner had they reached the garden than Dudley turned to Harry and said, "We've got a very serious problem. I think you are the only one who can solve it. Remember those Dementors? From years back? Aunt Greta wonders if any still exist… if they could… maybe… still be floating around somewhere? In England? Or abroad?"
"Harry, let me explain," Aunt Greta said. "Last Thursday, I was returning home after attending the Shropshire Cheese Society's annual convention, flying on my broomstick just above the Muggle neighborhood near my home."
"Hello again," said Ginny, rejoining the group. Greta filled her in on everything she had missed, while Harry waited impatiently. "What happened next?" Ginny prompted, sensing Harry's eagerness to hear more.
"As I began making my descent into the woods that border my back garden, I thought I saw a dark shape moving among the trees. It was unsettling. It filled me with such dread... I immediately Apparated... in mid-air!"
"Did you feel cold, or feel that you would never be happy again?" Ginny asked.
"Did you tell anyone at the Ministry of Magic?" asked Harry.
"Not yet. This is why Dudley suggested I come to you first, to see if I should," explained Greta anxiously. "I hope I'm not wasting your time with my concerns!"
"I'm glad you came," Harry replied. "And the answer to Ginny's question... what is it? It would really help me to determine if it was truly a Dementor, or... something else."
Greta nodded. "Dudley told me about what happened when you both got attacked all those years ago. It felt like I was out on a cold winter's day, that warm July afternoon, and that all happy thoughts and good feelings were being drained out of me." She shuddered at the memory. Harry and Ginny exchanged meaningful glances.
"That certainly sounds like a Dementor," said Harry. "I'm glad you were able to get away and tell me your story. I will certainly notify the Ministry. After the war, all Dementors were magically banished to an uninhabited island far from humans and they were prevented from leaving."
"A team of witches and wizards worked together creating a powerful spell that fed them an equivalent of human emotion so that they didn't want to leave," explained Ginny. After catching her breath, she said, "It must need to be strengthened or renewed. The consequences of it not working? They won't be good, that's for sure."
Gertrude looked alarmed. "Shouldn't something be done immediately? Dudley's been a nervous wreck ever since Aunt Greta told us what happened." She looked from one to the other, stretched out her hand, took Dudley's in hers, and squeezed it gently.
Harry found it odd that a Dementor could leave the island without someone from the Ministry noticing. He had helped to design the protective spell himself, along with Hermione, Padma, and a few others. That spell couldn't have weakened by itself, he thought. Was it possible that someone had intentionally removed it, allowing the Dementors to return to Britain? But who'd do that? Seeing Gertrude's worried expresssion, Harry said, "I'll notify the Ministry immediately. We're very efficient now, and I'm sure we'll solve the problem very quickly. There is probably nothing to worry about. I’d surely have heard something from Hermione by now if there was. Now how about some dinner?"
"Are you sure there's nothing to worry about?" Greta asked.
"I will personally check it myself to ensure that there is nothing the Department of Dementor Control can't handle," Harry assured her. "Now, let's go back inside. There's nothing much to see in the garden as everything is overgrown and the children de-gnomed it before you came."
"Yes," Ginny agreed. "Kreacher has really outdone himself and prepared a wonderful feast with a wide choice of dishes including Dudley's all time favorite, Beef Wellington."
"Beef Wellie?" Dudley exclaimed. "Perfect!" All thoughts of Dementors disappeared from his mind as he pictured the tender beef. "Come on, let's go inside, everyone!" He smiled and urged the others ahead, then turned back towards the house and quickly went inside.
As they entered, Kreacher cheerfully announced, "Dinner is served!"
James, Albus, and Lily Potter were sitting at the table already. James wore a slightly guilty expression, and it was clear that he had helped himself to a morsel from one of the three very delicious-looking cakes waiting to be served as dessert on the nearby sideboard.
"James, remember what I told you," Ginny cautioned her eldest son, who looked increasingly uncomfortable as Kreacher let out a small squeak of dismay. However, no one said anything more about it. Everyone soon became busy passing around the serving dishes.
"Dudley, would you like some gravy with your beef?" said Lily, passing him the gravy boat.
"Thank you," said Dudley, enthusiastically. "Like I always tell Mum, the gravy's the best part. And that reminds me of a very funny story." He turned to Gertrude. "Do you remember, Trudie?" he asked. "That time... my parents were at ours for lunch? Your Uncle Elfred dropped by and mentioned that he found hundreds of dead puffyskins in the cupboard under the stairs. Remember?"
"Dudley, dear, it's puffskeins," Gertrude smiled. "You're nearly as bad as your father! He turned purple when I told him that it was flobberworms eating all your mum's lettuce, not flabbyworms."
"Yes he didn't seem overly pleased to be told that!" said Dudley chuckling heartily. "And Mum certainly didn't want to hear about flobberworms in the garden. I think she wanted to get the exterminators in to wipe out the whole lot."
"Anyway," Gertrude reminded Dudley. "Dear Uncle Elfred told your dad that puffskeins pick children's noses and drink toilet water, and offered to get him one for a pet."
"Dad looked like he had swallowed a particularly hairy caterpillar!" Dudley reminisced, "And Mum started and knocked over her wine glass!"
"It was the finest elf-made wine. Anyway, your mum looked really pale and unsteady on her feet and she didn't start cleaning up the spill right away," Gertrude explained. "But she seemed just a little envious when Uncle Elfred siphoned it up with his wand."
Dudley nodded in agreement. "I think she'd almost wished she could do magic herself."
"Really?" asked Harry incredulously. "I can't imagine why! She was horrible to me, and my mum, because we were magical! Puffskeins in a cupboard under the stairs are nothing, believe me, in comparison to being locked in for doing magic you can't control." Harry's words brought the dinner chatter to a stop.
"Sorry, Harry," Dudley murmured, a look of anguish spreading over his face as the realization of the torment Harry had suffered at the hands of his parents took effect. His eyes filled with tears, and he sickened at the thought.
"I know you're sorry, mate," Harry replied softly, with a kind smile, "and I'm glad you and I could become friends, in spite of your parents' prejudice against magic and the despicable treatment that I received from them. Think about it, Dudley. Their prejudices kept us from becoming childhood friends... and we could have grown up as brothers!"
Harry looked at Dudley, then turned his gaze to James and Albus. They were following the conversation with interest, forks suspended in mid-air, food temporarily left untouched. Harry knew that despite their frequent fights and petty jealousies they were very fond of each other, and he was filled with joy and fatherly pride at the thought that their childhood was so much happier and more loving and secure than his own had been.
The momentary silence was broken by a strange hiccupping sound. "I wish Mum'd spoken properly to you that day," Dudley began.
"What day?" Ginny asked, looking slightly bewildered.
"W-well," stuttered Dudley, trying in vain to hide the tears spilling from the corners of his eyes, "the d-day Harry left our home forever. If only Mum had said something! I know now, that she wishes she had."
"What did Auntie Petunia want to tell Daddy?" asked Lily curiously.
"She wanted to wish him luck," Dudley replied earnestly. "She just couldn't bring herself to say it. It was a step too far for her given the circumstances at the time."
"Maybe she can wish Daddy good luck now?" Lily suggested. "It might make her feel better. Would you like that, Daddy?"
Harry was so stunned that his ability to verbalize what he felt temporarily left him speechless. He looked at Ginny, who shrugged and nodded encouragingly at him.
"That's quite a nice suggestion, Lily. Perhaps it could bring us all together," Dudley said quietly.
"I agree," Ginny said. "There was a falling-out with my older brother, Percy, which resulted in my family not speaking to him for a few years. But after we talked, things improved significantly and eventually returned to almost how they were before the argument."
"I've got an idea," Gertrude said, excitedly. "Have dinner at our place next Saturday evening! It's our anniversary, and it's about time your mum and dad saw our new place" she said turning to Dudley.
"Trudie, that's brilliant!" Dudley exclaimed.
"So your mum can taste my cooking again and realize that you’re not starving to death."
Harry cleared his throat. "Gertrude, Dudley, I appreciate your efforts at bringing about a reconciliation. However, I'm not sure if I'm ready for this. I don't want to force things. I'm sure Aunt Petunia will let me know on her own when she's ready for a reconciliation. After all, just admitting that she thinks she should have wished me luck is an enormous mindshift."
No one spoke for a few minutes. Then Albus said, "Dad, I think you're quite right. But let's go to Dudley's for dinner anyway since you are friends now. I would really like to see their house. Uncle Ron says they have something called a fellytone, which lets you hear what other people are shouting to you from really far away. Do they not have owl post or howlers when they are..." Albus paused. "Anyway, Dad, you're always reminding us about our choices, right?"
Harry smiled at this gentle remonstration from his son, reminded of another Albus he knew and loved many years before. "You're right, Albus."
Nodding, Albus looked around at the assembled throng. "I knew you'd make the right choice, Dad," he said, his eyes shining. "Uncle Dudley is family because he wanted to be, right? Auntie Petunia's got to make the same choice."
"Yes, Albus Severus," Harry replied. "She'll get her second chance."
* Five Words – Volume 11 Index *
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
| * Five Words - Main Archives * |
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Last edited by Potteraholic on Fri Aug 12, 2011 9:39 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Archive of Five Words Stories - Volume XI, Story #115 stats
Potteraholic Wed Aug 10, 2011 8:12 pm
These stats were first posted by Potteraholic - Oct 26, 2009 6:46 am (#1977 of 2999) on the World Crossing home of the 'Harry Potter Lexicon Forum'.
Statistics for Story 115
ordered by first contribution to the story
The user in red is the rightful starter of the next story. They are welcome to pass on the privilege to the user who posted the second most number of times, who may in turn pass it to the user who posted the third number of times in the story, and so forth.
Total Submissions: 193
Total Words: 2316
Last Submission Date: #1974, Oct 24, 2009, 8:59 am (Julia H.)
Total Time to Create Story: 15 days, 7 hours, and 51 minutes
* Five Words – Volume 11 Index *
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
| FW - Year 4! |
Statistics for Story 115
ordered by first contribution to the story
User | # of Submissions |
| Potteraholic | 66 |
| Verity Weasley | 26 |
| mona amon | 27 |
| Julia H. | 28 |
| Finn BV | 3 |
| freshwater | 3 |
| legolas returns | 32 |
| Solitaire | 8 |
Total Submissions: 193
Total Words: 2316
Last Submission Date: #1974, Oct 24, 2009, 8:59 am (Julia H.)
Total Time to Create Story: 15 days, 7 hours, and 51 minutes
* Five Words – Volume 11 Index *
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
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Archive of Five Words Stories - Volume XI, Story #115 post-story comments
Potteraholic Wed Aug 10, 2011 8:14 pm
These post-story comments were first posted by Potteraholic - Nov 24, 2010 7:07 am (#2947 of 2960) [Edited Dec 13, 2010 7 am] on the World Crossing home of the 'Harry Potter Lexicon Forum'.
Post-Story Comments for Story #115, Volume XI,
Potty Five Words: "The 3 Ds: Dursleys, Dementors, and Dinner"
This story was written from October 9, 2009 to October 24, 2009. Eight writers contributed to the story, which is 2,316 words long. Five of the eight writers posted feedback.
- Potteraholic, Oct 26, 2009 7:00 am: This story had some twists and turns, as befits one that is more than 2300 words long, but I think it holds together well enough. Perhaps there was just a wee too much going on? I just wish we got to hear more conversation, from more people — some Muggle and Wizard/Witch interaction — around the dinner table, including some 'Kreacherisms'. Maybe another time!
- legolas returns, Oct 26, 2009 5:39 pm: I am glad that Harry has been instilling the value of choices to his children. The ending was sweet. Perhaps the sudden jump from Dementors to food and then forgetting about the Dementors was a little bit strange. Perhaps Dudley can only think about one thing at a time.
- Julia H., Oct 26, 2009 5:52 pm: LOL, Legolas! Yes, Dudley was supposed to be awfully scared at the beginning, but mention dinner, and all his troubles are forgotten.
Perhaps it took us a bit long to decide what the story would be about. (That's why 12 words are tricky...) I think that is why we did not very much exploit the opportunities provided by Muggles, wizards and a house elf being all in one place. Still, the story was fun to write. The sudden changes in the plot were really "five-wordish", so perhaps that's not a problem here. Very good title! LOL!
On the other hand, I'm sorry that we never found out what kind of cakes Kreacher made.
- Verity Weasley, Oct 27, 2009 3:10 am: I agree with previous posters about the last story. It turned out quite well, and the ending was sweet, but I think we could have made more of the opportunity. I would have liked to have seen around 12 Grimmauld Place now that the Potters call it home, and some more 'Muggle in a wizard house' type action. I also think we have all been awfully forgiving of Dudley. If you have a definite idea of where the story is going, then 12 words can be great, but otherwise, it can be much harder than posting only 5 at a time. The dialogue around the table was good, but the problem, and the 'dealing' with it, felt a bit rushed.
- mona amon, Oct 27, 2009 11:21 am: The previous story was quite good. Maybe a bit more of #12 GP and Kreacher would have been nice. Albus Potter was a bit too preachy for me. For once I found the cake-stealing little James more appealing.
Great title as always, PAH. And very pretty pumpkins!
* Five Words – Volume 11 Index *
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
| FW - Year 4! |
Post-Story Comments for Story #115, Volume XI,
Potty Five Words: "The 3 Ds: Dursleys, Dementors, and Dinner"
This story was written from October 9, 2009 to October 24, 2009. Eight writers contributed to the story, which is 2,316 words long. Five of the eight writers posted feedback.
- Potteraholic, Oct 26, 2009 7:00 am: This story had some twists and turns, as befits one that is more than 2300 words long, but I think it holds together well enough. Perhaps there was just a wee too much going on? I just wish we got to hear more conversation, from more people — some Muggle and Wizard/Witch interaction — around the dinner table, including some 'Kreacherisms'. Maybe another time!
- legolas returns, Oct 26, 2009 5:39 pm: I am glad that Harry has been instilling the value of choices to his children. The ending was sweet. Perhaps the sudden jump from Dementors to food and then forgetting about the Dementors was a little bit strange. Perhaps Dudley can only think about one thing at a time.
- Julia H., Oct 26, 2009 5:52 pm: LOL, Legolas! Yes, Dudley was supposed to be awfully scared at the beginning, but mention dinner, and all his troubles are forgotten.
Perhaps it took us a bit long to decide what the story would be about. (That's why 12 words are tricky...) I think that is why we did not very much exploit the opportunities provided by Muggles, wizards and a house elf being all in one place. Still, the story was fun to write. The sudden changes in the plot were really "five-wordish", so perhaps that's not a problem here. Very good title! LOL!
On the other hand, I'm sorry that we never found out what kind of cakes Kreacher made.
- Verity Weasley, Oct 27, 2009 3:10 am: I agree with previous posters about the last story. It turned out quite well, and the ending was sweet, but I think we could have made more of the opportunity. I would have liked to have seen around 12 Grimmauld Place now that the Potters call it home, and some more 'Muggle in a wizard house' type action. I also think we have all been awfully forgiving of Dudley. If you have a definite idea of where the story is going, then 12 words can be great, but otherwise, it can be much harder than posting only 5 at a time. The dialogue around the table was good, but the problem, and the 'dealing' with it, felt a bit rushed.
- mona amon, Oct 27, 2009 11:21 am: The previous story was quite good. Maybe a bit more of #12 GP and Kreacher would have been nice. Albus Potter was a bit too preachy for me. For once I found the cake-stealing little James more appealing.
Great title as always, PAH. And very pretty pumpkins!
* Five Words – Volume 11 Index *
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
| * Five Words - Main Archives * |
| * Five Words - Stories Index (by topic) * |
Last edited by Potteraholic on Mon Aug 15, 2011 8:40 am; edited 1 time in total
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Archive of Five Words Stories - Volume XI, Story #116
Potteraholic Wed Aug 10, 2011 8:18 pm
This story was first posted by Potteraholic - Nov 23, 2009 11:48 am (#2379 of 2999) on the World Crossing home of the 'Harry Potter Lexicon Forum'.
image c/o ecco.com.blogspot
Neville opened the greenhouse door very quietly. It was dark, but he wanted to check on the Mandrakes, even though he knew that they would probably be covered up. The cold chilled him to the bone. Neville wished he had worn the red and gold scarf his Gran had ordered specially from Madame Malkin's Robes for All Occasions to mark his return to school. It had been Neville's favorite scarf ever since.
Adjusting to the dim wandlight, he carefully slipped into the deserted greenhouse, and went carefully past the sprouting Venomous Tentacula. Its spiky dark red flowers and faintly rattling seedpods fascinated him, but he didn't stop to look because he didn't fancy getting bitten again.
Holding his wand out so its light could shine directly ahead, he made his way toward the room where the Mandrakes were. A pair of earmuffs lay on the floor among the pots of Fanged Geraniums. As Neville reached down to pick up the fluffy muffs he stiffened as he suddenly noticed something very unusual: two sets of muddy footprints that led off towards the Mandrakes. "Hominum revelio," Neville whispered as he took his wand and pointed it, quickly, at the area behind the plants.
The Creevey brothers, Colin and Dennis, stepped out looking excited. "Neville!" Dennis crowed. "I'm glad it's you! For a moment, I thought it was Snape and was afraid we were Blast-Ended Skrewt food!"
"But what are you two doing here?" Neville asked incredulously.
"Well, we wanted to have a look at Dumbledore's tomb and put some flowers on it," replied Colin, showing a battered bouquet of oddly shaped blossoms to an astonished Neville.
"We picked puffapods," Dennis said proudly. "They are wonderful plants, don't you agree?"
"Yes, I think Dumbledore would've liked them," Neville answered quietly.
"What are you doing here?" Colin asked Neville. "It's dangerous to be out alone after dark."
"I was thinking that I should check on the Mandrakes," Neville explained. "But, tell me, how'd you get down here without getting caught?"
Colin winked and said, "We learnt a few things from following Harry and Ron around. But I wish we had an invisibility cloak. We almost got spotted by the Carrows as we were walking past the Great Hall."
Neville couldn't imagine how they were all going to return without trouble. Taking the puffapods to Dumbledore's grave would be risky. "We could ask Peeves for help," Neville suggested. "But first, I need to check on those Mandrakes."
The three of them continued to the far end of the greenhouse, where the Mandrakes were kept. Donning a pair of earmuffs each, they entered the room and froze in surprise as they saw a most unusual sight: Professor Slughorn polishing the leaves of the Mandrakes with a white cloth. He looked up with a start, and almost dropped the cloth.
"Merlin's beard!" he exclaimed. "What are you three doing here? And take those ridiculous things off!" He pointed to their earmuffs, saying, "The Mandrakes won't hurt you while they're in their pots. Surely you know that, Mr. Longbottom?"
"My ears were cold," said Neville, after removing the earmuffs.
"In a greenhouse?" Professor Slughorn asked. "Three Gryffindors? After dark? What are you up to? If you're found by the Carrows you will be severely punished," he said, frowning. "I wouldn't wish that on anyone."
"Thanks for your concern, Professor," said Neville. "I just had to check that the Mandrakes are safe and secure. They are rather rare and valuable, aren't they, Professor?"
Slughorn looked a little sheepish as he folded his arms across his huge belly and sighed. "True," he said. "The leaves are priceless on the black market, and in these troubled times a few extra Galleons would certainly help, wouldn't they?"
Slughorn's eyes scrutinized the three boys standing in front of him. "What do you know about the uses of Mandrake leaves? Everyone knows about the roots but do you know that carefully tended, top quality leaves, especially the darker purplish ones, are so highly prized throughout our world?"
"Why, Sir?" asked Colin breathlessly.
"They are used in making the antidote for poisonous snake bites that would otherwise prove lethal, like from the snake belonging to You-Know-Who himself, which bit Mr. Weasley. Remember?"
Neville nodded and swallowed hard. He remembered what happened during his fifth year just before Christmas. His suspicion concerning Slughorn was alleviated a bit. Just to be sure, he decided to test the waters with an obvious trap. "Professor, will you be taking some of the leaves with you, back to your office?"
Slughorn pondered what Neville had meant by that. "Taking the leaves at this early stage of growth would harm these delicate plants, as you know, Longbottom, and the time may come when they'll be needed to save lives."
Neville blinked in surprise. After all, Slughorn was a Slytherin, and Slytherins were not noted for their concern for others.
Slughorn put the polishing cloth away. "Longbottom, what exactly brings you here at this time of the night? And for October, quite a chilly one, too..."
Neville beckoned to the Creevey brothers, who immediately stepped closer to him as they wanted to hear every word of his explanation. Leaning forward, they held their breath while Neville began to speak.
"I had a hunch that these Mandrakes could prove useful in our fight against the Death Eaters. If I can hide a few, we may be able to have some ready in case of an attack."
Colin's eyes narrowed. "How would the Mandrakes help us fight Death Eaters?"
"The cry of the Mandrake can prove fatal," Neville reminded Colin. "We could use that advantage, if Voldemort mounts an attack here. And the roots could be used to help those who'd been hit by curses."
Slughorn was nodding in agreement, impressed by Neville's farsightedness. "We just need to make sure you don't forget your earmuffs," he said.
"So are we going to hide one of the Mandrakes?" Dennis suggested, grinning broadly. "Where should we hide it?"
"I've already thought of the perfect place," whispered Neville, rubbing his hands together, his eyes twinkling with mischief.
"Really, Longbottom? Do tell," Slughorn coaxed.
Neville hesitated. Could he really trust Slughorn? He was evidently on their side, but what if someone else appealed to his opportunistic side? Would he be able to resist? But, it could be useful to have a teacher on their side as they would be less constrained by the Carrows' new regulations.
"I thought we could hide them in the Room of Requirement," said Neville, "and it could become a hideout, or 'safe house', for DA members."
"With a mini-greenhouse?" said Dennis in a breathless voice, his eyes alight with anticipation.
"What about these puffapods?" asked Colin. "I really want to put some on Dumbledore's grave."
"Well, you'd better do it quickly," Slughorn advised. "The doors will be locked in half an hour, and you don't want to be caught outside after curfew. The Carrows are not to be trifled with."
"Take a Mandrake each, and don't let their roots get exposed," cautioned Neville, reaching for a large potted Mandrake and hiding it under his cloak. "We need to get out of here, and fast!"
Neville led the way out of the greenhouse, and soon the four of them were heading towards the white tomb, thankful for the cover of darkness and the long shadows.
Presently they saw the gleaming white marble tomb up ahead against the dark background of the lake, and were soon standing before it.
Slughorn looked as if he might start to head back to the castle... but he didn't. Instead, he watched, silent and motionless and seemed deep in thought. His eyes glistened with emotions, which he quickly wiped away when Colin carefully placed the puffapods at the foot of the tomb. He then turned to Dennis and said, "You had better get yourself—"
"Shhh! Someone's coming!" Neville whispered in a panicked voice and all four wizards immediately fell silent. Slughorn acted quickly and Disillusioned the boys and they immediately blended in with the surroundings. Slughorn didn't have time to hide the flowers before he saw Hagrid and Fang approaching.
"Oh, it's only you." Slughorn sighed with relief. "I'll be on my way, then," and he was about to undo the Disillusionment Charm that he had cast on the boys, when the unmistakable voice of Amycus Carrow sounded behind him.
"Slughorn!" Amycus bellowed. "What's going on 'ere? Why are you out 'ere at this hour?" There was a vicious sneer playing around his lips.
"I-I-I... needed some potion ingredient," stammered Slughorn, trying to keep his voice level. "There's a patch of knotgrass somewhere here."
"Knotgrass? At this time of the year?"
The Death Eater advanced menacingly towards Slughorn, who looked a bit queasy. Suddenly, he caught sight of the bouquet of puffapods propped up against the tomb.
"What are they doin' 'ere?" growled Amycus. He grabbed the puffapods and flung them into the bushes and then poked his wand in Slughorn's face.
"Payin' yer respects, I see," he said, with scorn.
"That's right," Hagrid growled from the shadows, causing both Slughorn and Amycus to jump back a step in surprise. "Yer got a problem with me askin' Professor—"
Hagrid stopped abruptly as a clod of earth flew past him and landed on Amycus's head, showering him with dirt.
Amycus looked a little bit dumbstruck and turned around to see where the missile had come from. Fortunately, the shadows hid the three Disillusioned kids, and since neither Hagrid nor Slughorn knew exactly where Neville and the Creeveys were by this time, they stood by, hoping Amycus would give up quickly and go back to the castle. But he stomped off into the bushes instead.
Slughorn acted swiftly. "Quick, you three," he said removing the Charm, "get back to your dormitory as fast as you can and go straight to bed."
"Merlin's pants!" Hagrid cried when the three boys appeared before him. "Yeh've been here the whole time? So that's where tha' bit o' mud came from!" With a broad grin he whispered, "Off yeh go!"
As the three Gryffindors made their way back, the Mandrakes bulging visibly under their cloaks, Slughorn and Hagrid stood guard in case Amycus should return. Between them, they figured they could keep him occupied, giving the boys enough time to reach the castle. The puffapods that had fallen around the grave had burst into bloom, their large petals glowing in the moonlight like the floating candles in the Great Hall.
"I can't see them anymore," said Slughorn, squinting into the darkness, "I think they must be back at the castle by now."
As he said this, Amycus returned with the Headmaster at his heels. Snape looked at the scene around him, his eyes flashing dangerously. "Well, Amycus, what did you want to show me?" he demanded, staring at the burgeoning puffapods with inscrutable face for a few moments.
The silence stretched out, becoming uncomfortable.
"Memorializing Dumbledore is expressly against the Dark Lord's orders," Amycus said pointedly.
"Who dropped these puffapods?" Snape burst out angrily.
"I put them on the tomb after my party for Harry," Hagrid said in a robust and hearty voice, causing Snape to clench his jaw. "Great man, Dumbledore! What would he say if he could see Hogwarts now, with the likes of you Death Eaters in charge? Criminals, more like!" he snorted in disdain. He looked back at Hogwarts, and said, "I'd have never believed it, Hogwarts in You-Know-Who's control. Unnatural..."
"You would be wise to keep your opinions to yourself," said Snape coldly. "Your duties can of course be carried out by Professor Grubbly-Plank. Again."
"I promised Professor Dumbledore I'd keep the kids safe," Hagrid growled.
"Be careful then," Snape advised.
"We will," said Slughorn, solemnly.
"Come," said Snape to Amycus. "I'll deal with these two later."
He turned and quickly walked away, his robes billowing angrily as he went.
* Five Words – Volume 11 Index *
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
image c/o ecco.com.blogspot
Potty Five Words: "Neville and the Mandrakes: Mission Possible"
Neville opened the greenhouse door very quietly. It was dark, but he wanted to check on the Mandrakes, even though he knew that they would probably be covered up. The cold chilled him to the bone. Neville wished he had worn the red and gold scarf his Gran had ordered specially from Madame Malkin's Robes for All Occasions to mark his return to school. It had been Neville's favorite scarf ever since.
Adjusting to the dim wandlight, he carefully slipped into the deserted greenhouse, and went carefully past the sprouting Venomous Tentacula. Its spiky dark red flowers and faintly rattling seedpods fascinated him, but he didn't stop to look because he didn't fancy getting bitten again.
Holding his wand out so its light could shine directly ahead, he made his way toward the room where the Mandrakes were. A pair of earmuffs lay on the floor among the pots of Fanged Geraniums. As Neville reached down to pick up the fluffy muffs he stiffened as he suddenly noticed something very unusual: two sets of muddy footprints that led off towards the Mandrakes. "Hominum revelio," Neville whispered as he took his wand and pointed it, quickly, at the area behind the plants.
The Creevey brothers, Colin and Dennis, stepped out looking excited. "Neville!" Dennis crowed. "I'm glad it's you! For a moment, I thought it was Snape and was afraid we were Blast-Ended Skrewt food!"
"But what are you two doing here?" Neville asked incredulously.
"Well, we wanted to have a look at Dumbledore's tomb and put some flowers on it," replied Colin, showing a battered bouquet of oddly shaped blossoms to an astonished Neville.
"We picked puffapods," Dennis said proudly. "They are wonderful plants, don't you agree?"
"Yes, I think Dumbledore would've liked them," Neville answered quietly.
"What are you doing here?" Colin asked Neville. "It's dangerous to be out alone after dark."
"I was thinking that I should check on the Mandrakes," Neville explained. "But, tell me, how'd you get down here without getting caught?"
Colin winked and said, "We learnt a few things from following Harry and Ron around. But I wish we had an invisibility cloak. We almost got spotted by the Carrows as we were walking past the Great Hall."
Neville couldn't imagine how they were all going to return without trouble. Taking the puffapods to Dumbledore's grave would be risky. "We could ask Peeves for help," Neville suggested. "But first, I need to check on those Mandrakes."
The three of them continued to the far end of the greenhouse, where the Mandrakes were kept. Donning a pair of earmuffs each, they entered the room and froze in surprise as they saw a most unusual sight: Professor Slughorn polishing the leaves of the Mandrakes with a white cloth. He looked up with a start, and almost dropped the cloth.
"Merlin's beard!" he exclaimed. "What are you three doing here? And take those ridiculous things off!" He pointed to their earmuffs, saying, "The Mandrakes won't hurt you while they're in their pots. Surely you know that, Mr. Longbottom?"
"My ears were cold," said Neville, after removing the earmuffs.
"In a greenhouse?" Professor Slughorn asked. "Three Gryffindors? After dark? What are you up to? If you're found by the Carrows you will be severely punished," he said, frowning. "I wouldn't wish that on anyone."
"Thanks for your concern, Professor," said Neville. "I just had to check that the Mandrakes are safe and secure. They are rather rare and valuable, aren't they, Professor?"
Slughorn looked a little sheepish as he folded his arms across his huge belly and sighed. "True," he said. "The leaves are priceless on the black market, and in these troubled times a few extra Galleons would certainly help, wouldn't they?"
Slughorn's eyes scrutinized the three boys standing in front of him. "What do you know about the uses of Mandrake leaves? Everyone knows about the roots but do you know that carefully tended, top quality leaves, especially the darker purplish ones, are so highly prized throughout our world?"
"Why, Sir?" asked Colin breathlessly.
"They are used in making the antidote for poisonous snake bites that would otherwise prove lethal, like from the snake belonging to You-Know-Who himself, which bit Mr. Weasley. Remember?"
Neville nodded and swallowed hard. He remembered what happened during his fifth year just before Christmas. His suspicion concerning Slughorn was alleviated a bit. Just to be sure, he decided to test the waters with an obvious trap. "Professor, will you be taking some of the leaves with you, back to your office?"
Slughorn pondered what Neville had meant by that. "Taking the leaves at this early stage of growth would harm these delicate plants, as you know, Longbottom, and the time may come when they'll be needed to save lives."
Neville blinked in surprise. After all, Slughorn was a Slytherin, and Slytherins were not noted for their concern for others.
Slughorn put the polishing cloth away. "Longbottom, what exactly brings you here at this time of the night? And for October, quite a chilly one, too..."
Neville beckoned to the Creevey brothers, who immediately stepped closer to him as they wanted to hear every word of his explanation. Leaning forward, they held their breath while Neville began to speak.
"I had a hunch that these Mandrakes could prove useful in our fight against the Death Eaters. If I can hide a few, we may be able to have some ready in case of an attack."
Colin's eyes narrowed. "How would the Mandrakes help us fight Death Eaters?"
"The cry of the Mandrake can prove fatal," Neville reminded Colin. "We could use that advantage, if Voldemort mounts an attack here. And the roots could be used to help those who'd been hit by curses."
Slughorn was nodding in agreement, impressed by Neville's farsightedness. "We just need to make sure you don't forget your earmuffs," he said.
"So are we going to hide one of the Mandrakes?" Dennis suggested, grinning broadly. "Where should we hide it?"
"I've already thought of the perfect place," whispered Neville, rubbing his hands together, his eyes twinkling with mischief.
"Really, Longbottom? Do tell," Slughorn coaxed.
Neville hesitated. Could he really trust Slughorn? He was evidently on their side, but what if someone else appealed to his opportunistic side? Would he be able to resist? But, it could be useful to have a teacher on their side as they would be less constrained by the Carrows' new regulations.
"I thought we could hide them in the Room of Requirement," said Neville, "and it could become a hideout, or 'safe house', for DA members."
"With a mini-greenhouse?" said Dennis in a breathless voice, his eyes alight with anticipation.
"What about these puffapods?" asked Colin. "I really want to put some on Dumbledore's grave."
"Well, you'd better do it quickly," Slughorn advised. "The doors will be locked in half an hour, and you don't want to be caught outside after curfew. The Carrows are not to be trifled with."
"Take a Mandrake each, and don't let their roots get exposed," cautioned Neville, reaching for a large potted Mandrake and hiding it under his cloak. "We need to get out of here, and fast!"
Neville led the way out of the greenhouse, and soon the four of them were heading towards the white tomb, thankful for the cover of darkness and the long shadows.
Presently they saw the gleaming white marble tomb up ahead against the dark background of the lake, and were soon standing before it.
Slughorn looked as if he might start to head back to the castle... but he didn't. Instead, he watched, silent and motionless and seemed deep in thought. His eyes glistened with emotions, which he quickly wiped away when Colin carefully placed the puffapods at the foot of the tomb. He then turned to Dennis and said, "You had better get yourself—"
"Shhh! Someone's coming!" Neville whispered in a panicked voice and all four wizards immediately fell silent. Slughorn acted quickly and Disillusioned the boys and they immediately blended in with the surroundings. Slughorn didn't have time to hide the flowers before he saw Hagrid and Fang approaching.
"Oh, it's only you." Slughorn sighed with relief. "I'll be on my way, then," and he was about to undo the Disillusionment Charm that he had cast on the boys, when the unmistakable voice of Amycus Carrow sounded behind him.
"Slughorn!" Amycus bellowed. "What's going on 'ere? Why are you out 'ere at this hour?" There was a vicious sneer playing around his lips.
"I-I-I... needed some potion ingredient," stammered Slughorn, trying to keep his voice level. "There's a patch of knotgrass somewhere here."
"Knotgrass? At this time of the year?"
The Death Eater advanced menacingly towards Slughorn, who looked a bit queasy. Suddenly, he caught sight of the bouquet of puffapods propped up against the tomb.
"What are they doin' 'ere?" growled Amycus. He grabbed the puffapods and flung them into the bushes and then poked his wand in Slughorn's face.
"Payin' yer respects, I see," he said, with scorn.
"That's right," Hagrid growled from the shadows, causing both Slughorn and Amycus to jump back a step in surprise. "Yer got a problem with me askin' Professor—"
Hagrid stopped abruptly as a clod of earth flew past him and landed on Amycus's head, showering him with dirt.
Amycus looked a little bit dumbstruck and turned around to see where the missile had come from. Fortunately, the shadows hid the three Disillusioned kids, and since neither Hagrid nor Slughorn knew exactly where Neville and the Creeveys were by this time, they stood by, hoping Amycus would give up quickly and go back to the castle. But he stomped off into the bushes instead.
Slughorn acted swiftly. "Quick, you three," he said removing the Charm, "get back to your dormitory as fast as you can and go straight to bed."
"Merlin's pants!" Hagrid cried when the three boys appeared before him. "Yeh've been here the whole time? So that's where tha' bit o' mud came from!" With a broad grin he whispered, "Off yeh go!"
As the three Gryffindors made their way back, the Mandrakes bulging visibly under their cloaks, Slughorn and Hagrid stood guard in case Amycus should return. Between them, they figured they could keep him occupied, giving the boys enough time to reach the castle. The puffapods that had fallen around the grave had burst into bloom, their large petals glowing in the moonlight like the floating candles in the Great Hall.
"I can't see them anymore," said Slughorn, squinting into the darkness, "I think they must be back at the castle by now."
As he said this, Amycus returned with the Headmaster at his heels. Snape looked at the scene around him, his eyes flashing dangerously. "Well, Amycus, what did you want to show me?" he demanded, staring at the burgeoning puffapods with inscrutable face for a few moments.
The silence stretched out, becoming uncomfortable.
"Memorializing Dumbledore is expressly against the Dark Lord's orders," Amycus said pointedly.
"Who dropped these puffapods?" Snape burst out angrily.
"I put them on the tomb after my party for Harry," Hagrid said in a robust and hearty voice, causing Snape to clench his jaw. "Great man, Dumbledore! What would he say if he could see Hogwarts now, with the likes of you Death Eaters in charge? Criminals, more like!" he snorted in disdain. He looked back at Hogwarts, and said, "I'd have never believed it, Hogwarts in You-Know-Who's control. Unnatural..."
"You would be wise to keep your opinions to yourself," said Snape coldly. "Your duties can of course be carried out by Professor Grubbly-Plank. Again."
"I promised Professor Dumbledore I'd keep the kids safe," Hagrid growled.
"Be careful then," Snape advised.
"We will," said Slughorn, solemnly.
"Come," said Snape to Amycus. "I'll deal with these two later."
He turned and quickly walked away, his robes billowing angrily as he went.
This story was later revised in Volume XII, and can be found here.
* Five Words – Volume 11 Index *
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
| * Five Words - Main Archives * |
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Last edited by Potteraholic on Sat Aug 13, 2011 4:56 pm; edited 3 times in total
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Archive of Five Words Stories - Volume XI, Story #116 stats
Potteraholic Wed Aug 10, 2011 8:19 pm
These stats were first posted by Potteraholic - Nov 23, 2009 11:49 am (#2380 of 2999) on the World Crossing home of the 'Harry Potter Lexicon Forum'.
image c/o ecco.com.blogspot
Statistics for Story 116
ordered by first contribution to the story
The user in red is the rightful starter of the next story. They are welcome to pass on the privilege to the user who posted the second most number of times, who may in turn pass it to the user who posted the third number of times in the story, and so forth.
Total Submissions: 398
Total Words: 1990
Last Submission Date: #2377, Nov 22, 2009, 6:42 pm (Julia H.)
Total Time to Create Story: 27 days, 1 hour, and 3 minutes
* Five Words – Volume 11 Index *
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
image c/o ecco.com.blogspot
Statistics for Story 116
ordered by first contribution to the story
User | # of Submissions |
| legolas returns | 61 |
| Julia H. | 59 |
| Potteraholic | 116 |
| Verity Weasley | 47 |
| mona amon | 61 |
| Solitaire | 53 |
| John Bumbledore | 3 |
Total Submissions: 398
Total Words: 1990
Last Submission Date: #2377, Nov 22, 2009, 6:42 pm (Julia H.)
Total Time to Create Story: 27 days, 1 hour, and 3 minutes
* Five Words – Volume 11 Index *
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
| * Five Words - Main Archives * |
| * Five Words - Stories Index (by topic) * |
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Archive of Five Words Stories - Volume XI, Story #116 post-story comments
Potteraholic Wed Aug 10, 2011 8:21 pm
These post-story comments were first posted by Potteraholic - Nov 24, 2010 7:07 am (#2948 of 2960) [Edited Dec 13, 2010 7 am] on the World Crossing home of the 'Harry Potter Lexicon Forum'.
image c/o ecco.com.blogspot
Post-Story Comments for Story #116, Volume XI,
Potty Five Words: "Neville and the Mandrakes: Mission Possible"
This story was written from October 26, 2009 to November 22, 2009. Seven writers contributed to the story, which is 1,990 words long. Four of the seven writers posted feedback.
- Potteraholic, Nov 23, 2009 11:49 am: It took almost a month to write and was another long one, too, at nearly 2,000 words. I think it's hard to keep the momentum going on these longer stories when there are less people posting less frequently. I think the story worked out well enough, but I would've liked to have ended with Neville, somehow, since the story started with him.
- legolas returns, Nov 23, 2009 5:08 pm: I don't actually mind that it does not finish on Neville. I think it ends menacingly enough on Snape saying that he is going to deal with Hagrid and Slughorn later.
- mona amon, Nov 24, 2009 2:59 am: I just read the previous story, and I think it turned out quite well. I too feel it should have ended with Neville. It seemed to change direction in the end. But on the whole it was good!
- Verity Weasley, Nov 24, 2009 11:38 am: The previous story was OK. It did feel a little rushed at the end, and there were a few awkward moments, such as when Slughorn looked like he was going back to the castle, but didn't. Amycus wasn't quite menacing enough really, conveniently disappearing off into the bushes when he did. But given our post constraints, I think we did quite well.
* Five Words – Volume 11 Index *
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
image c/o ecco.com.blogspot
Post-Story Comments for Story #116, Volume XI,
Potty Five Words: "Neville and the Mandrakes: Mission Possible"
This story was written from October 26, 2009 to November 22, 2009. Seven writers contributed to the story, which is 1,990 words long. Four of the seven writers posted feedback.
- Potteraholic, Nov 23, 2009 11:49 am: It took almost a month to write and was another long one, too, at nearly 2,000 words. I think it's hard to keep the momentum going on these longer stories when there are less people posting less frequently. I think the story worked out well enough, but I would've liked to have ended with Neville, somehow, since the story started with him.
- legolas returns, Nov 23, 2009 5:08 pm: I don't actually mind that it does not finish on Neville. I think it ends menacingly enough on Snape saying that he is going to deal with Hagrid and Slughorn later.
- mona amon, Nov 24, 2009 2:59 am: I just read the previous story, and I think it turned out quite well. I too feel it should have ended with Neville. It seemed to change direction in the end. But on the whole it was good!
- Verity Weasley, Nov 24, 2009 11:38 am: The previous story was OK. It did feel a little rushed at the end, and there were a few awkward moments, such as when Slughorn looked like he was going back to the castle, but didn't. Amycus wasn't quite menacing enough really, conveniently disappearing off into the bushes when he did. But given our post constraints, I think we did quite well.
* Five Words – Volume 11 Index *
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
| * Five Words - Main Archives * |
| * Five Words - Stories Index (by topic) * |
Last edited by Potteraholic on Mon Aug 15, 2011 8:41 am; edited 1 time in total
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Archive of Five Words Stories - Volume XI, Story #117
Potteraholic Thu Aug 11, 2011 9:25 am
This story was first posted by Potteraholic - Dec 16, 2009 10:31 pm (#2585 of 2999) on the World Crossing home of the 'Harry Potter Lexicon Forum'.
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Gertrude and Dudley's son, Simon was ensconced in the living room, on the big red sofa. He was reading a book with colorful pictures of cheese from around the world called Cheeses Here and Cheeses There: Cheeses, Cheeses, Everywhere! It had no words in it, but the toddler seemed captivated by the pictures, which moved when he poked them. He squealed in a delighted fashion and called out, "Da-da, Da-da!"
Dudley was bustling about, getting things ready for Simon's first birthday party. The balloons were hanging all around the room. "What's it that you're trying to show Daddy?" he cooed walking to the sofa. "Tell Daddy what you've got? Let Daddy see. Oh, you've got Auntie Greta's present!" He sat down next to his son, ruffling his hair. He bent down to look at the book.
"Da-da!" Simon grinned, pointing at an Edam cheese, "Ball!"
Shock, then panic, filled Dudley's mind as he realized exactly what this meant. His son must be magical! "Gertrude! Simon was pointing at a moving picture. He said its name and it just moved!"
Gertrude looked up from her baking with a smile. "Oh, he's just a little parrot," she smiled. "I was reading that book to him after breakfast this morning. Auntie Greta said that the pictures would only move when touched." She walked over from the counter and joined Simon and Dudley on the sofa.
"I think perhaps we should put it away until after the party," Dudley cautioned. "Dad'll throw a fit if he sees anything that seems remotely magical."
"You're probably right," agreed Gertrude, "Although if he really is a wizard, they'll have to know sooner or later. We can't hide it forever. For now, though, let's get on with the party preparations." A few hours from now, Vernon and Petunia would be arriving, and Gertrude wanted everything to be perfect.
Later that day, the doorbell rang. Simon raced excitedly toward the door, but stumbled, his little legs unsteady. Dudley opened the door, and there stood his mum and dad. Soon the house was filled with shrill cries of "Come to Gran-Gran, my little sweet-sweet." Petunia picked Simon up and gave him a hug.
Vernon cuffed him on the chin and bounced him on his knee. "That's my boy," he chortled. Simon wriggled and squealed. Fortunately, the doorbell rang again and Gertrude's Uncle Elfred entered, a large present in hand, followed soon after by Aunt Greta and Gertrude's parents.
"Has everybody met each other before? I met you two at the wedding!" boomed Greta enthusiastically, turning to the Dursleys.
"Yes," Petunia replied caustically, "I'll never forget that interesting dress you wore."
Greta's face lit up. "Did you like it? It was made especially, by Madame Malkin, for the occasion."
Petunia couldn't decide exactly what to say. Elfred saved her the trouble by choosing that moment to send rainbow-colored sparks into the air. Little Simon squealed with delight and clapped his hands as the sparks flew in multiple directions and criss-crossed just above his head. Vernon looked horror-struck, while Petunia looked firmly in the other direction. Suddenly, the fizzling embers transformed into a flock of multi-colored butterflies.
"Stop that nonsense at once!" cried Vernon furiously. "My grandson must not be subjected to the influence of this perverse behavior... this abnormality!"
"Dad! That's utterly unfair and very rude. He's only doing magic!" Dudley said in a forceful voice. Just then, Vernon's tie flew up into his large face and began slapping him, playfully.
"Elfred, please," Greta said uncomfortably. "Stop moving Mr. Dursley's tie!"
"I'm not doing that!" Elfred said, changing a snort into a cough. The assembled adults all looked puzzled and shrugged... except for Uncle Vernon, who turned purple in the face. The vein in his temple throbbed. His jaw was clenched. He looked like he was about to explode, when Simon giggled and pointed at Vernon's tie. He clapped his chubby hands and bounced up and down, mimicking the action of the errant accessory.
"Simon?" Gertrude spluttered in a slightly higher voice. "What are you doing? Why are you mimicking what that tie's doing, my little darling?"
"He's the one who's doing it? Wonderful! Already showing magical prowess at such a tender age?" Elfred exclaimed excitedly.
"Preposterous!" Vernon bellowed. "He's just a baby!"
"Didn't something similar happen with Harry when he was about that age? I remember Aunt Marge's handkerchief story..." Dudley trailed off, looking at his parents. "She was trying to pick it up and it kept blowing across the room, down the stairs and she thought it was caused by the breeze. But Harry had just been annoying her."
"He was crying," Petunia added, "because she passed unkind comments about his hair. She waved the handkerchief at him to tell him to stop blubbering, but that was when it flew out of her hand."
"I remember other things, too," Dudley exclaimed. "That jumper! The one that kept shrinking when you tried to force it over his head! I remember poor Harry saying, 'It hurts!' And soon it was so small that it would only fit a very small infant."
Aunt Greta nodded, saying, "That makes sense. It's only natural that little Simon would be magical, since both his parents carry the gene."
"WHAT???" Vernon yelled, jumping up so fast that he knocked a small vase of flowers over. He turned to Petunia and said, "I married a freak gene carrier?"
"Dad! That's enough! Don't say that your grandson is a freak, or I'll have to ask you to leave and not come back until you've stopped judging Simon for something he can't control."
"And apologized, too!" said Gertrude in a trembling voice. "For ruining Simon's birthday party with your prejudiced comments."
Vernon blinked, then said, "Fine!" and stormed toward the front door.
"Petunia?"
"I'm staying," she mumbled. Suddenly the doorbell rang, just as Vernon jerked the door open.
"Er... hello," said Harry, who was standing on the doorstep with Ginny and the kids.
"Aarrgh!!!" cried Uncle Vernon, who looked like he was going to explode. "More freaks? I'm off! Goodbye!"
* Five Words – Volume 11 Index *
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
image c/o www.harrypotterrealm.com
Potty Five Words: "A Birthday… Surprise!"
Gertrude and Dudley's son, Simon was ensconced in the living room, on the big red sofa. He was reading a book with colorful pictures of cheese from around the world called Cheeses Here and Cheeses There: Cheeses, Cheeses, Everywhere! It had no words in it, but the toddler seemed captivated by the pictures, which moved when he poked them. He squealed in a delighted fashion and called out, "Da-da, Da-da!"
Dudley was bustling about, getting things ready for Simon's first birthday party. The balloons were hanging all around the room. "What's it that you're trying to show Daddy?" he cooed walking to the sofa. "Tell Daddy what you've got? Let Daddy see. Oh, you've got Auntie Greta's present!" He sat down next to his son, ruffling his hair. He bent down to look at the book.
"Da-da!" Simon grinned, pointing at an Edam cheese, "Ball!"
Shock, then panic, filled Dudley's mind as he realized exactly what this meant. His son must be magical! "Gertrude! Simon was pointing at a moving picture. He said its name and it just moved!"
Gertrude looked up from her baking with a smile. "Oh, he's just a little parrot," she smiled. "I was reading that book to him after breakfast this morning. Auntie Greta said that the pictures would only move when touched." She walked over from the counter and joined Simon and Dudley on the sofa.
"I think perhaps we should put it away until after the party," Dudley cautioned. "Dad'll throw a fit if he sees anything that seems remotely magical."
"You're probably right," agreed Gertrude, "Although if he really is a wizard, they'll have to know sooner or later. We can't hide it forever. For now, though, let's get on with the party preparations." A few hours from now, Vernon and Petunia would be arriving, and Gertrude wanted everything to be perfect.
Later that day, the doorbell rang. Simon raced excitedly toward the door, but stumbled, his little legs unsteady. Dudley opened the door, and there stood his mum and dad. Soon the house was filled with shrill cries of "Come to Gran-Gran, my little sweet-sweet." Petunia picked Simon up and gave him a hug.
Vernon cuffed him on the chin and bounced him on his knee. "That's my boy," he chortled. Simon wriggled and squealed. Fortunately, the doorbell rang again and Gertrude's Uncle Elfred entered, a large present in hand, followed soon after by Aunt Greta and Gertrude's parents.
"Has everybody met each other before? I met you two at the wedding!" boomed Greta enthusiastically, turning to the Dursleys.
"Yes," Petunia replied caustically, "I'll never forget that interesting dress you wore."
Greta's face lit up. "Did you like it? It was made especially, by Madame Malkin, for the occasion."
Petunia couldn't decide exactly what to say. Elfred saved her the trouble by choosing that moment to send rainbow-colored sparks into the air. Little Simon squealed with delight and clapped his hands as the sparks flew in multiple directions and criss-crossed just above his head. Vernon looked horror-struck, while Petunia looked firmly in the other direction. Suddenly, the fizzling embers transformed into a flock of multi-colored butterflies.
"Stop that nonsense at once!" cried Vernon furiously. "My grandson must not be subjected to the influence of this perverse behavior... this abnormality!"
"Dad! That's utterly unfair and very rude. He's only doing magic!" Dudley said in a forceful voice. Just then, Vernon's tie flew up into his large face and began slapping him, playfully.
"Elfred, please," Greta said uncomfortably. "Stop moving Mr. Dursley's tie!"
"I'm not doing that!" Elfred said, changing a snort into a cough. The assembled adults all looked puzzled and shrugged... except for Uncle Vernon, who turned purple in the face. The vein in his temple throbbed. His jaw was clenched. He looked like he was about to explode, when Simon giggled and pointed at Vernon's tie. He clapped his chubby hands and bounced up and down, mimicking the action of the errant accessory.
"Simon?" Gertrude spluttered in a slightly higher voice. "What are you doing? Why are you mimicking what that tie's doing, my little darling?"
"He's the one who's doing it? Wonderful! Already showing magical prowess at such a tender age?" Elfred exclaimed excitedly.
"Preposterous!" Vernon bellowed. "He's just a baby!"
"Didn't something similar happen with Harry when he was about that age? I remember Aunt Marge's handkerchief story..." Dudley trailed off, looking at his parents. "She was trying to pick it up and it kept blowing across the room, down the stairs and she thought it was caused by the breeze. But Harry had just been annoying her."
"He was crying," Petunia added, "because she passed unkind comments about his hair. She waved the handkerchief at him to tell him to stop blubbering, but that was when it flew out of her hand."
"I remember other things, too," Dudley exclaimed. "That jumper! The one that kept shrinking when you tried to force it over his head! I remember poor Harry saying, 'It hurts!' And soon it was so small that it would only fit a very small infant."
Aunt Greta nodded, saying, "That makes sense. It's only natural that little Simon would be magical, since both his parents carry the gene."
"WHAT???" Vernon yelled, jumping up so fast that he knocked a small vase of flowers over. He turned to Petunia and said, "I married a freak gene carrier?"
"Dad! That's enough! Don't say that your grandson is a freak, or I'll have to ask you to leave and not come back until you've stopped judging Simon for something he can't control."
"And apologized, too!" said Gertrude in a trembling voice. "For ruining Simon's birthday party with your prejudiced comments."
Vernon blinked, then said, "Fine!" and stormed toward the front door.
"Petunia?"
"I'm staying," she mumbled. Suddenly the doorbell rang, just as Vernon jerked the door open.
"Er... hello," said Harry, who was standing on the doorstep with Ginny and the kids.
"Aarrgh!!!" cried Uncle Vernon, who looked like he was going to explode. "More freaks? I'm off! Goodbye!"
* Five Words – Volume 11 Index *
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
| * Five Words - Main Archives * |
| * Five Words - Stories Index (by topic) * |
Last edited by Potteraholic on Fri Aug 12, 2011 9:41 pm; edited 2 times in total
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Archive of Five Words Stories - Volume XI, Story #117 stats
Potteraholic Thu Aug 11, 2011 9:31 am
These stats were first posted by Potteraholic - Dec 16, 2009 10:32 pm (#2586 of 2999) on the World Crossing home of the 'Harry Potter Lexicon Forum'.
image c/o www.harrypotterrealm.com
Statistics for Story 117
ordered by first contribution to the story
The user in red is the rightful starter of the next story. They are welcome to pass on the privilege to the user who posted the second most number of times, who may in turn pass it to the user who posted the third number of times in the story, and so forth.
Total Submissions: 200
Total Words: 1,005*
Last Submission Date: #2584, Dec 15, 2009, 10:15 am (mona amon)
Total Time to Create Story: 21 days, 22 hours, and 26 minutes
* Note: In order to clarify a section of plot in the story, one post has 10 words instead of the usual 5. This explains the extra 5 words in the story, which would have contained 1,000 words with 200 posts.
* Five Words – Volume 11 Index *
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
image c/o www.harrypotterrealm.com
Statistics for Story 117
ordered by first contribution to the story
User | # of Submissions |
| Potteraholic | 65 |
| mona amon | 31 |
| legolas returns | 38 |
| Verity Weasley | 23 |
| Solitaire | 26 |
| Julia H. | 17 |
Total Submissions: 200
Total Words: 1,005*
Last Submission Date: #2584, Dec 15, 2009, 10:15 am (mona amon)
Total Time to Create Story: 21 days, 22 hours, and 26 minutes
* Note: In order to clarify a section of plot in the story, one post has 10 words instead of the usual 5. This explains the extra 5 words in the story, which would have contained 1,000 words with 200 posts.
* Five Words – Volume 11 Index *
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
| * Five Words - Main Archives * |
| * Five Words - Stories Index (by topic) * |
Last edited by Potteraholic on Thu Aug 11, 2011 9:49 am; edited 2 times in total
Potteraholic- Ravenclaw Prefect
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Archive of Five Words Stories - Volume XI, Story #117 post-story comments
Potteraholic Thu Aug 11, 2011 9:32 am
These post-story comments were first posted by Potteraholic - Nov 24, 2010 7:08 am (#2949 of 2960) [Edited Dec 13, 2010 7 am] on the World Crossing home of the 'Harry Potter Lexicon Forum'.
image c/o www.harrypotterrealm.com
Post-Story Comments for Story #117, Volume XI,
Potty Five Words: : "A Birthday… Surprise!"
This story was written from November 23, 2009 to December 15, 2009. Six writers contributed to the story, which is 1,005 words long. Four of the six writers posted feedback.
- Potteraholic, Dec 16, 2009 10:34 pm: Story #117, the first tale of the Dursley Triumvirate, is up! As is true with most Five Words stories, there were some teeny-tiny hiccups along the way, but for the most part, I think we avoided inconsistencies and stayed true to character. I know some may find the ending a bit abrupt, but with only 415 posts left to fit in 2 more stories of 200 posts each, with some extra 'wiggle room' posts if we need them, sometimes a quick ending is necessary.
- mona amon, Dec 17, 2009 4:26 am: I agree. It turned out well despite the hiccups, which are probably what give a Five Words story its distinctive touch, anyway.
- Julia H., Dec 17, 2009 6:10 am: I think Vernon can be our major source of humour in these stories. Unlike this reformed Dudley, we have kept him in character.
I liked the sudden appearance of the Potters at the end of the last story.
- mona amon, Dec 17, 2009 11:19 am: I liked that too, Julia.
- Verity Weasley, Dec 17, 2009 1:52 pm: I liked the previous story. Abrupt endings can sometimes be very effective, especially in a short story format. It was an interesting slice of life at the new Dursley home.
* Five Words – Volume 11 Index *
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
image c/o www.harrypotterrealm.com
Post-Story Comments for Story #117, Volume XI,
Potty Five Words: : "A Birthday… Surprise!"
This story was written from November 23, 2009 to December 15, 2009. Six writers contributed to the story, which is 1,005 words long. Four of the six writers posted feedback.
- Potteraholic, Dec 16, 2009 10:34 pm: Story #117, the first tale of the Dursley Triumvirate, is up! As is true with most Five Words stories, there were some teeny-tiny hiccups along the way, but for the most part, I think we avoided inconsistencies and stayed true to character. I know some may find the ending a bit abrupt, but with only 415 posts left to fit in 2 more stories of 200 posts each, with some extra 'wiggle room' posts if we need them, sometimes a quick ending is necessary.
- mona amon, Dec 17, 2009 4:26 am: I agree. It turned out well despite the hiccups, which are probably what give a Five Words story its distinctive touch, anyway.
- Julia H., Dec 17, 2009 6:10 am: I think Vernon can be our major source of humour in these stories. Unlike this reformed Dudley, we have kept him in character.
I liked the sudden appearance of the Potters at the end of the last story.
- mona amon, Dec 17, 2009 11:19 am: I liked that too, Julia.
- Verity Weasley, Dec 17, 2009 1:52 pm: I liked the previous story. Abrupt endings can sometimes be very effective, especially in a short story format. It was an interesting slice of life at the new Dursley home.
* Five Words – Volume 11 Index *
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
| * Five Words - Main Archives * |
| * Five Words - Stories Index (by topic) * |
Last edited by Potteraholic on Mon Aug 15, 2011 8:43 am; edited 2 times in total
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Archive of Five Words Stories - Volume XI, Story #118
Potteraholic Thu Aug 11, 2011 9:41 am
This story was first posted by Potteraholic - Jan 1, 2010 5:58 pm (#2788 of 2999) on the World Crossing home of the 'Harry Potter Lexicon Forum'.
image c/o kvitters.com
Simon Dursley was playing checkers with his Gran Petunia. His Grandpa Vernon sat watching him as though he were a ticking bomb, likely to explode at any moment. It was midway through summer break and Petunia and Vernon were visiting for Dudley's birthday. They were drinking tea and having some leftover birthday cake and jelly with ice cream.
"Gran, this is cool, particularly the mandarin orange slices. Mum never makes me fun stuff like this!"
"What don't I ever make?" said Gertrude, frowning. "I thought you loved my cooking?"
Simon hurriedly looked up, saying, "Oh, Mum! I do love it, but Gran's food is always like holidays... different and special!" Petunia's thin face glowed with pride and satisfaction that her grandson enjoyed her cooking so much. It made her feel happy, especially since Dudley didn't eat many of her desserts anymore. Ever since his marriage, he had become more health conscious.
"So, Dudley," Vernon began, "where are you thinking of sending young Simon? Smeltings, of course, is an excellent school. I presume you'll be—"
"Dad there are other schools besides Smeltings… schools that will help mold Simon better. As you know, we've been exploring other options. We've even talked to Harry..." Dudley paused, looking warily at his father, expecting the worst.
"Harry?! What for?! Why speak to him?" sneered Vernon. "All his children went to that freak borstal that he attended. Why would you ask him anything about schooling for Simon? He's a Dursley, and all Dursley men go to Smeltings! It's a family tradition!" Vernon was breathing heavily and his face was turning purple. Dudley knew the warning signs and tried to change the subject to something that Vernon liked.
"We saw Aunt Marge last month and she seemed—"
"Don't try changing the subject!" growled Vernon. "I want an answer."
Dudley and Gertrude exchanged looks, and Gertrude began to speak. "Simon has been showing some unmistakable manifestations of early magic. He's clearly a wizard! Remember his first birthday party? That was only the start of his innate magical aptitude."
Vernon's face began to turn purple again and then deathly pale, for at that moment, a small, tawny owl zoomed in through the open window. Vernon stared at the yellow envelope, and Petunia whimpered.
Gertrude hurried over to the owl, unfastened the letter, and said, "It's from Hogwarts, Simon. It's addressed to you!"
Simon reached for it, as did Vernon. But Simon was faster and snatched it away.
"Dad, that's Simon's mail, not yours. He's got the right to open his own mail, after all. Just like Harry did, even though he was never allowed to that summer... when he was with us. I sometimes feel very guilty about—"
"Dad, Mom, Gran!" interrupted Simon, "Look at this! I've been invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry when I go back to school after I finish up primary school."
"What? Give me that!" Vernon barked.
"No, Dad. I'll read it. You get so upset when the word 'magic' is mentioned. But Dad, you're going to have to grow up! Simon's a wizard. Deal with it as it won't go away."
Vernon sat in silence, unused to being given ultimatums.
Dudley nodded and said, "Right, now that that's settled, let's dig into that cake and—"
"Wait... what's been settled?" Petunia asked in a slightly bemused tone. "Will Simon be going to Hogwarts next year or is there some other alternative?"
"Yes, next year. His place is there, where he can reach his full magical potential. What's more, he won't be alone. It'll be Lily's last year, and she'll watch out for him."
Simon nodded eagerly and asked, "Can we send both letters right away?"
"Both?"
"One to Hogwarts, accepting their invitation. And one to Lily, telling her I'm a wizard, too," Simon explained.
"Oh, Simon, you don't need an owl! Just send a letter. That's what I did," Petunia said.
Dudley turned and goggled at her. But Vernon goggled even harder. What was she saying? This thought ran through Vernon's brain like a speeding locomotive. Was it possible that his wife's attitude to magic wasn't what it seemed? How could it be that she'd kept this a secret all these years.
"You received this sort of rubbish all those years ago?"
"No, Vernon. I wrote to Dumbledore. You see, I wanted to join Lily at Hogwarts, because I missed her."
"You did?" Dudley asked. "You never told me that. You only spoke ill of her and said you were glad that she—"
"Stop! Enough!" Petunia cried. "It's time you knew... I just wanted to do magic ... like Lily did! There!" Petunia sighed heavily, then looked away. A long silence followed her emotional confession.
Dudley was about to speak, but Vernon held up his hand and quickly said, "Petunia, we should probably get going. It's late and I've—"
"Grandpa! Gran! Don't leave yet!
"No, Mum, Dad..." Dudley began. "This is important. It's time we talked about the things that you've ignored."
Gertrude spoke up. "Simon's letter needs a reply," she reminded them. "And the owl's still standing here, waiting. Simon, it's your choice."
"Yes," Petunia added, "and it is important to be open-minded—"
"I will, Gran, and thanks for understanding. It'll be great to see Hogwarts and Lily, and learn more about magic and how to fly! Actually, Harry could teach me and—"
Chuckling, Gertrude said, "I guess we'd better send those letters off, my dear."
"Right-o, Trudie!" Dudley agreed, looking at Simon. "Ready, mate?" Simon nodded enthusiastically and threw his energies into writing his letters.
"Mum, thank you for telling us about you and Aunt Lily. I know it was hard for you. And Dad, I really hope you can set aside your feelings about magic ... or maybe reassess them, given Mum's change of heart."
Dudley thought he saw the slightest nod.
"Ready, Dad!" Simon announced, handing him the letters. After attaching both to the owl's leg, he opened the window, and the owl flew into the night, toward Hogwarts.
* Five Words – Volume 11 Index *
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
image c/o kvitters.com
Potty Five Words: "Owl Post!"
Simon Dursley was playing checkers with his Gran Petunia. His Grandpa Vernon sat watching him as though he were a ticking bomb, likely to explode at any moment. It was midway through summer break and Petunia and Vernon were visiting for Dudley's birthday. They were drinking tea and having some leftover birthday cake and jelly with ice cream.
"Gran, this is cool, particularly the mandarin orange slices. Mum never makes me fun stuff like this!"
"What don't I ever make?" said Gertrude, frowning. "I thought you loved my cooking?"
Simon hurriedly looked up, saying, "Oh, Mum! I do love it, but Gran's food is always like holidays... different and special!" Petunia's thin face glowed with pride and satisfaction that her grandson enjoyed her cooking so much. It made her feel happy, especially since Dudley didn't eat many of her desserts anymore. Ever since his marriage, he had become more health conscious.
"So, Dudley," Vernon began, "where are you thinking of sending young Simon? Smeltings, of course, is an excellent school. I presume you'll be—"
"Dad there are other schools besides Smeltings… schools that will help mold Simon better. As you know, we've been exploring other options. We've even talked to Harry..." Dudley paused, looking warily at his father, expecting the worst.
"Harry?! What for?! Why speak to him?" sneered Vernon. "All his children went to that freak borstal that he attended. Why would you ask him anything about schooling for Simon? He's a Dursley, and all Dursley men go to Smeltings! It's a family tradition!" Vernon was breathing heavily and his face was turning purple. Dudley knew the warning signs and tried to change the subject to something that Vernon liked.
"We saw Aunt Marge last month and she seemed—"
"Don't try changing the subject!" growled Vernon. "I want an answer."
Dudley and Gertrude exchanged looks, and Gertrude began to speak. "Simon has been showing some unmistakable manifestations of early magic. He's clearly a wizard! Remember his first birthday party? That was only the start of his innate magical aptitude."
Vernon's face began to turn purple again and then deathly pale, for at that moment, a small, tawny owl zoomed in through the open window. Vernon stared at the yellow envelope, and Petunia whimpered.
Gertrude hurried over to the owl, unfastened the letter, and said, "It's from Hogwarts, Simon. It's addressed to you!"
Simon reached for it, as did Vernon. But Simon was faster and snatched it away.
"Dad, that's Simon's mail, not yours. He's got the right to open his own mail, after all. Just like Harry did, even though he was never allowed to that summer... when he was with us. I sometimes feel very guilty about—"
"Dad, Mom, Gran!" interrupted Simon, "Look at this! I've been invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry when I go back to school after I finish up primary school."
"What? Give me that!" Vernon barked.
"No, Dad. I'll read it. You get so upset when the word 'magic' is mentioned. But Dad, you're going to have to grow up! Simon's a wizard. Deal with it as it won't go away."
Vernon sat in silence, unused to being given ultimatums.
Dudley nodded and said, "Right, now that that's settled, let's dig into that cake and—"
"Wait... what's been settled?" Petunia asked in a slightly bemused tone. "Will Simon be going to Hogwarts next year or is there some other alternative?"
"Yes, next year. His place is there, where he can reach his full magical potential. What's more, he won't be alone. It'll be Lily's last year, and she'll watch out for him."
Simon nodded eagerly and asked, "Can we send both letters right away?"
"Both?"
"One to Hogwarts, accepting their invitation. And one to Lily, telling her I'm a wizard, too," Simon explained.
"Oh, Simon, you don't need an owl! Just send a letter. That's what I did," Petunia said.
Dudley turned and goggled at her. But Vernon goggled even harder. What was she saying? This thought ran through Vernon's brain like a speeding locomotive. Was it possible that his wife's attitude to magic wasn't what it seemed? How could it be that she'd kept this a secret all these years.
"You received this sort of rubbish all those years ago?"
"No, Vernon. I wrote to Dumbledore. You see, I wanted to join Lily at Hogwarts, because I missed her."
"You did?" Dudley asked. "You never told me that. You only spoke ill of her and said you were glad that she—"
"Stop! Enough!" Petunia cried. "It's time you knew... I just wanted to do magic ... like Lily did! There!" Petunia sighed heavily, then looked away. A long silence followed her emotional confession.
Dudley was about to speak, but Vernon held up his hand and quickly said, "Petunia, we should probably get going. It's late and I've—"
"Grandpa! Gran! Don't leave yet!
"No, Mum, Dad..." Dudley began. "This is important. It's time we talked about the things that you've ignored."
Gertrude spoke up. "Simon's letter needs a reply," she reminded them. "And the owl's still standing here, waiting. Simon, it's your choice."
"Yes," Petunia added, "and it is important to be open-minded—"
"I will, Gran, and thanks for understanding. It'll be great to see Hogwarts and Lily, and learn more about magic and how to fly! Actually, Harry could teach me and—"
Chuckling, Gertrude said, "I guess we'd better send those letters off, my dear."
"Right-o, Trudie!" Dudley agreed, looking at Simon. "Ready, mate?" Simon nodded enthusiastically and threw his energies into writing his letters.
"Mum, thank you for telling us about you and Aunt Lily. I know it was hard for you. And Dad, I really hope you can set aside your feelings about magic ... or maybe reassess them, given Mum's change of heart."
Dudley thought he saw the slightest nod.
"Ready, Dad!" Simon announced, handing him the letters. After attaching both to the owl's leg, he opened the window, and the owl flew into the night, toward Hogwarts.
* Five Words – Volume 11 Index *
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
| * Five Words - Main Archives * |
| * Five Words - Stories Index (by topic) * |
Last edited by Potteraholic on Fri Aug 12, 2011 9:42 pm; edited 2 times in total
Potteraholic- Ravenclaw Prefect
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Join date : 2011-02-18
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Archive of Five Words Stories - Volume XI, Story #118 stats
Potteraholic Thu Aug 11, 2011 9:44 am
These stats were first posted by Potteraholic - Jan 1, 2010 6:02 pm (#2789 of 2999) on the World Crossing home of the 'Harry Potter Lexicon Forum'.
image c/o kvitters.com
Statistics for Story 118
ordered by first contribution to the story
The user in red is the rightful starter of the next story. They are welcome to pass on the privilege to the user who posted the second most number of times, who may in turn pass it to the user who posted the third number of times in the story, and so forth.
Total Submissions: 200
Total Words: 1,000
Last Submission Date: #2786, Dec 30, 2009, 4:47 am (Solitaire)
Total Time to Create Story: 13 days, 6 hours, and 13 minutes
* Five Words – Volume 11 Index *
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
image c/o kvitters.com
Statistics for Story 118
ordered by first contribution to the story
User | # of Submissions |
| Potteraholic | 75 |
| mona amon | 21 |
| Solitaire | 68 |
| Julia H. | 1 |
| Verity Weasley | 7 |
| legolas returns | 27 |
| azi | 1 |
Total Submissions: 200
Total Words: 1,000
Last Submission Date: #2786, Dec 30, 2009, 4:47 am (Solitaire)
Total Time to Create Story: 13 days, 6 hours, and 13 minutes
* Five Words – Volume 11 Index *
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
| * Five Words - Main Archives * |
| * Five Words - Stories Index (by topic) * |
Last edited by Potteraholic on Thu Aug 11, 2011 9:50 am; edited 1 time in total
Potteraholic- Ravenclaw Prefect
- Posts : 4241
Join date : 2011-02-18
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Archive of Five Words Stories - Volume XI, Story #118 post-story comments
Potteraholic Thu Aug 11, 2011 9:46 am
These post-story comments were first posted by Potteraholic - Nov 24, 2010 7:08 am (#2950 of 2960) [Edited Dec 13, 2010 7 am] on the World Crossing home of the 'Harry Potter Lexicon Forum'.
image c/o kvitters.com
Post-Story Comments for Story #118, Volume XI,
Potty Five Words: "Owl Post!"
This story was written from December 16, 2009 to December 30, 2009. Seven writers contributed to the story, which is 1,000 words long. Four of the seven writers posted feedback.
- Potteraholic, Jan 1, 2010 6:41 pm: There were some minor inconsistencies (or almost-inconsistencies) in this story, and while Five Words stories are not perfectly constructed tales, by any stretch of the imagination, there are ways to avoid inconsistencies.
About the story itself, while it was being written, it was hard to know how contrite Petunia would be and resolute Vernon would be in his anti-magic stance. I think we did a good job of keeping all the Dursleys in character, given how we know nothing of them post-DH. If I ever got the chance to meet Jo, and ask her any questions, asking about any reconciliation between Harry and the senior Dursleys is one of the first things I'd ask her.
I think we ended the story perfectly, and the time stats confirm my opinion. It took 13 days, 6 hours, and 13 minutes to write this story. This '13ish' palindromic evidence is enough to prove the perfectness of the ending, to me!
- Solitaire, Jan 2, 2010 2:48 am: I thought it was brilliant! The people who created it must be extremely gifted and creative! I hope they--what's that? My opinion doesn't count because I helped write it? Hm ... I was afraid of that.
- Potteraholic, Jan 2, 2010 3:07 am: LOL, Solitaire! Yes, we did help write it, but it's still good to hear how the process went, what difficulties, if there were any, thinking of what to write next, etc. Story participants writing post-story comments is something that Finn, who created this thread, strongly encouraged; I wish I had those posts ready at my fingertips... he said it so well... something about self-reflection or -assessment. It's a longstanding practice, but I suppose it is easier to write post-story comments when more people have contributed to the story, and the writing is more spread out, among a range of writers instead of concentrated with a few. With the holidays drawing to a close, maybe more folks will be able to join in the writing of this story and close out this thread with a BANG!
- Verity Weasley, Jan 2, 2010 3:11 am: I missed the writing of most of the last story, so it was interesting reading the finished story when I hadn't really contributed that much. It felt very short, those 200 posts don't go very far do they, but it was long enough to deal with the subject matter. I think the characterisation was consistent with all we have written about the post-DH Durselys before. It was just a little confusing about when the story was taking place. I'm not sure it was entirely clear that this was an advance notice letter, rather than the one that Harry got. But I don't think it really affected the outcome of the story in any way.
- Potteraholic, Jan 2, 2010 3:19 am: I agree, Verity, the time setting for the last story was a bit confusing: Dudley's birthday is in June, and they were eating leftover birthday cake, but it was halfway through the summer holidays, like sometime in July? (Hope the cake was in the freezer...) Then the other unclear piece... about Simon's letter being an advance letter, and not the kind Harry received ('Surprise! You're going to Hogwarts!). In hindsight, I suppose even if Dudley and Gertrude had made firm plans in advance to send Simon somewhere for secondary school, they would've been willing to change their minds quickly to send him to Hogwarts at the last minute, if he received a more 'surprise' type letter. But, as you say, those unclear details did not change the outcome of the story. So that's good, innit?
- mona amon, Jan 2, 2010 6:22 am: I think the last story turned out well. I've always felt that Petunia would be secretly thrilled to have a magical grandchild, and I think the nuances of her ambivalent attitude towards magic came out rather well in the previous two stories.
"I thought it was brilliant! The people who created it must be extremely gifted and creative!" - Soli
Hee Hee! My thoughts exactly!
- Potteraholic, Jan 2, 2010 11:02 am: Thanks for your comments, mona! Petunia's one tricky character, isn't she? I wonder what she'll end up saying/doing in this story?
Something that I wondered about in the story 'bout Simon's birthday is the how little Gertrude's parents are mentioned in their first grandchild's life. It makes them look very uninvolved, almost like the Dursleys were in Harry's life! I'm not suggesting they appear in this story, but maybe they at least get a passing mention? Perhaps they said goodbye to Simon earlier that day? Something?
* Five Words – Volume 11 Index *
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
image c/o kvitters.com
Post-Story Comments for Story #118, Volume XI,
Potty Five Words: "Owl Post!"
This story was written from December 16, 2009 to December 30, 2009. Seven writers contributed to the story, which is 1,000 words long. Four of the seven writers posted feedback.
- Potteraholic, Jan 1, 2010 6:41 pm: There were some minor inconsistencies (or almost-inconsistencies) in this story, and while Five Words stories are not perfectly constructed tales, by any stretch of the imagination, there are ways to avoid inconsistencies.
About the story itself, while it was being written, it was hard to know how contrite Petunia would be and resolute Vernon would be in his anti-magic stance. I think we did a good job of keeping all the Dursleys in character, given how we know nothing of them post-DH. If I ever got the chance to meet Jo, and ask her any questions, asking about any reconciliation between Harry and the senior Dursleys is one of the first things I'd ask her.
I think we ended the story perfectly, and the time stats confirm my opinion. It took 13 days, 6 hours, and 13 minutes to write this story. This '13ish' palindromic evidence is enough to prove the perfectness of the ending, to me!
- Solitaire, Jan 2, 2010 2:48 am: I thought it was brilliant! The people who created it must be extremely gifted and creative! I hope they--what's that? My opinion doesn't count because I helped write it? Hm ... I was afraid of that.
- Potteraholic, Jan 2, 2010 3:07 am: LOL, Solitaire! Yes, we did help write it, but it's still good to hear how the process went, what difficulties, if there were any, thinking of what to write next, etc. Story participants writing post-story comments is something that Finn, who created this thread, strongly encouraged; I wish I had those posts ready at my fingertips... he said it so well... something about self-reflection or -assessment. It's a longstanding practice, but I suppose it is easier to write post-story comments when more people have contributed to the story, and the writing is more spread out, among a range of writers instead of concentrated with a few. With the holidays drawing to a close, maybe more folks will be able to join in the writing of this story and close out this thread with a BANG!
- Verity Weasley, Jan 2, 2010 3:11 am: I missed the writing of most of the last story, so it was interesting reading the finished story when I hadn't really contributed that much. It felt very short, those 200 posts don't go very far do they, but it was long enough to deal with the subject matter. I think the characterisation was consistent with all we have written about the post-DH Durselys before. It was just a little confusing about when the story was taking place. I'm not sure it was entirely clear that this was an advance notice letter, rather than the one that Harry got. But I don't think it really affected the outcome of the story in any way.
- Potteraholic, Jan 2, 2010 3:19 am: I agree, Verity, the time setting for the last story was a bit confusing: Dudley's birthday is in June, and they were eating leftover birthday cake, but it was halfway through the summer holidays, like sometime in July? (Hope the cake was in the freezer...) Then the other unclear piece... about Simon's letter being an advance letter, and not the kind Harry received ('Surprise! You're going to Hogwarts!). In hindsight, I suppose even if Dudley and Gertrude had made firm plans in advance to send Simon somewhere for secondary school, they would've been willing to change their minds quickly to send him to Hogwarts at the last minute, if he received a more 'surprise' type letter. But, as you say, those unclear details did not change the outcome of the story. So that's good, innit?
- mona amon, Jan 2, 2010 6:22 am: I think the last story turned out well. I've always felt that Petunia would be secretly thrilled to have a magical grandchild, and I think the nuances of her ambivalent attitude towards magic came out rather well in the previous two stories.
"I thought it was brilliant! The people who created it must be extremely gifted and creative!" - Soli
Hee Hee! My thoughts exactly!
- Potteraholic, Jan 2, 2010 11:02 am: Thanks for your comments, mona! Petunia's one tricky character, isn't she? I wonder what she'll end up saying/doing in this story?
Something that I wondered about in the story 'bout Simon's birthday is the how little Gertrude's parents are mentioned in their first grandchild's life. It makes them look very uninvolved, almost like the Dursleys were in Harry's life! I'm not suggesting they appear in this story, but maybe they at least get a passing mention? Perhaps they said goodbye to Simon earlier that day? Something?
* Five Words – Volume 11 Index *
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
| * Five Words - Main Archives * |
| * Five Words - Stories Index (by topic) * |
Last edited by Potteraholic on Mon Aug 15, 2011 8:45 am; edited 2 times in total
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Archive of Five Words Stories - Volume XI, Story #119
Potteraholic Thu Aug 11, 2011 9:47 am
This story was first posted by Potteraholic - Jan 9, 2010 2:17 am (#2996 of 2999) on the World Crossing home of the 'Harry Potter Lexicon Forum'.
image c/o www.ukstudentlife.com
September first had finally arrived! Simon Dursley's Hogwarts trunk was loaded with robes, books, and everything else included on his list, as the Dursleys pulled into King's Cross Station.
"Dad," said Simon excitedly, "look!" He was pointing at Harry, Ginny, and Lily, who were standing by the station entrance, waving excitedly. Minutes later, Simon breathlessly joined them, while Dudley and Gertrude wrestled his heavy trunk onto a trolley.
"Shall we?" Dudley asked, and they both grabbed the handlebar and pushed the trolley over.
"Harry! Ginny! Glad to see you! We could use some help getting onto Platform 9¾," Dudley admitted.
"Yes," Gertrude agreed, "But we were hoping Petunia and Vernon would've at least tried to make it in time to say goodbye. My parents rang from the cruise ship and spoke to Simon right before we left this morning and wished him luck. He'll be so disappointed if Petunia, at least, doesn't come to see him off."
Dudley scanned the parking lot for Petunia's car while Simon asked Harry questions about Hogwarts. Suddenly, Dudley saw a familiar dark blue Vauxhall stop across the street. Petunia stepped out, saw Dudley, and stopped for a moment. Just then, the car behind hooted irritably, and she started walking quickly, calling, "Vernon, hurry! Park and let's get over there." Petunia crossed the road quickly. "It's nearly 10:30!"
"Right, dear!" Vernon mumbled, moving off into the general direction where the other cars were heading.
"Oh, Gran! You're here!" Simon exclaimed as Petunia joined them. Together they made their way towards the designated platform: the three Potters and the Dursleys making animated conversation.
"Wait!" said Petunia as they approached the ticket barrier. "Your Grandad's on his way. He'll be just a minute."
"No problem," Ginny said. "There's still twenty minutes until the train leaves."
Harry looked around, remembering how he felt all those years ago. "Aunt Petunia," said Harry suddenly, "what happened when my mum, you, and your parents came here before? How did you all get onto Platform 9¾? I know I didn't have a clue and wouldn't have known if it wasn't for Ginny's mum."
Petunia looked at Harry for a moment, somewhat shamefacedly. "Harry," she began haltingly, "there is no acceptable reason for my silence on the subject all this time."
"Aunt Petunia, it's probably not the ideal time to talk now. The train's pulling out soon. We need to get through the barrier now. Okay, Aunt Petunia... I need to know how you got through. You're the only one who knows."
"It's simple...," said Petunia. "We just have—"
"Gran, let me tell him! It was explained in my letter from Hogwarts. I guess only Muggle-born kids are told how, since everyone else would be able to enter, too. You just have to hold onto me! Harry and Ginny can help, and Lily, too! Let's go!"
Harry offered his hand to Petunia. She gingerly took it and together they advanced towards the seemingly solid surface.
"Petunia... Simon! I'm... h-h-here!" The whole group looked around. Vernon approached them; his breathing was labored. He gave a perfunctory nod to the Potters and greeted his grandson with a warm embrace.
"Glad you made it! C'mon! We need to hurry, Grandad!"
"Watch!" Lily grabbed Gertrude's hand and casually placed it on her trolley's handlebar. Then they both advanced. "Don't worry, just run right at it! You'll see!" The pair sped down to the wall and—whoosh! They disappeared!
"Our turn!" Simon pulled Vernon over and steered him towards the barrier. "Smile, Grandad. This'll be fun!"
"No! Not... Appartation!"
"No, Uncle Vernon, it's not the same. Just let Simon lead. You can trust him." Harry had instinctively reached to encourage Simon.
"Ready, steady, go!" said Simon, racing towards the barrier, with Vernon trying to hang on. Then—whoosh! They were on Platform 9¾! The gleaming scarlet steam engine appeared before them, as did Lily and Gertrude. Seconds later, Ginny and Dudley arrived, followed by Harry and Petunia. Suddenly, the steam parted allowing them a full view of the train and all the gathered families.
"COOL!" Simon exclaimed.
Vernon tried to keep an impassive face, but he couldn't help that his expression matched his thoughts. He was impressed. "Blimey, what a place! I thought it would look common, but—"
"Oh, dear! It's nearly departure time!" Gertrude interrupted. "You'd better get on the train. Harry, can you help with the trunk? We need to get it on board." Harry obliged, accompanied by Ginny and Lily.
Vernon turned to Simon. "Well my boy, are you sure this is what you want?"
"Now, Dad..."
"Yes, Grandad, more now than ever! Of course, I'll miss everyone, but I'm a wizard and I have to go to Hogwarts. I'm really sure it'll be the best school for me to go to and I'll become the best wizard I can."
"I know you'll do your best," said Petunia.
Everyone agreed and Vernon said, "Atta boy! Show 'em what us Dursleys are made of. Make us proud!"
"Time for hugs," Gertrude said, glancing at the clock.
After Simon received his grandparents' warm embraces, Harry bent over and whispered, "Steer clear of Hagrid’s stoat sandwiches." He shook Simon's hand and smiled. "Goodbye, then. Enjoy yourself! Keep an eye on Lily for me, okay?"
"Bye everyone! See you at Christmas!" Giving his parents one final hug, Simon clambered aboard the Hogwarts Express. He and Lily waved madly as the train departed.
The Dursleys and the Potters watched and waved until it was out of sight. Looking at Petunia, Vernon said, "Now, how are we supposed to get back to the real world?"
"Oh, that's easy. Just walk through. The return trip's included!" said Petunia with a mild chuckle and a wave of her hand.
"How about a cup of tea and some refreshments?" Dudley suggested. Everyone agreed, and they made their way towards the barrier. They walked through, one by one, and headed to a nearby tea room.
"Table for six," Dudley said.
"Oh, no,"said Harry. "We wouldn't want to impose. It's a family party."
"Exactly... and you're family!" Petunia declared. "Although I didn't treat you as such when should've done. Now's the right time to make amends."
* Five Words – Volume 11 Index *
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
image c/o www.ukstudentlife.com
Potty Five Words: "A Barrier Breached"
September first had finally arrived! Simon Dursley's Hogwarts trunk was loaded with robes, books, and everything else included on his list, as the Dursleys pulled into King's Cross Station.
"Dad," said Simon excitedly, "look!" He was pointing at Harry, Ginny, and Lily, who were standing by the station entrance, waving excitedly. Minutes later, Simon breathlessly joined them, while Dudley and Gertrude wrestled his heavy trunk onto a trolley.
"Shall we?" Dudley asked, and they both grabbed the handlebar and pushed the trolley over.
"Harry! Ginny! Glad to see you! We could use some help getting onto Platform 9¾," Dudley admitted.
"Yes," Gertrude agreed, "But we were hoping Petunia and Vernon would've at least tried to make it in time to say goodbye. My parents rang from the cruise ship and spoke to Simon right before we left this morning and wished him luck. He'll be so disappointed if Petunia, at least, doesn't come to see him off."
Dudley scanned the parking lot for Petunia's car while Simon asked Harry questions about Hogwarts. Suddenly, Dudley saw a familiar dark blue Vauxhall stop across the street. Petunia stepped out, saw Dudley, and stopped for a moment. Just then, the car behind hooted irritably, and she started walking quickly, calling, "Vernon, hurry! Park and let's get over there." Petunia crossed the road quickly. "It's nearly 10:30!"
"Right, dear!" Vernon mumbled, moving off into the general direction where the other cars were heading.
"Oh, Gran! You're here!" Simon exclaimed as Petunia joined them. Together they made their way towards the designated platform: the three Potters and the Dursleys making animated conversation.
"Wait!" said Petunia as they approached the ticket barrier. "Your Grandad's on his way. He'll be just a minute."
"No problem," Ginny said. "There's still twenty minutes until the train leaves."
Harry looked around, remembering how he felt all those years ago. "Aunt Petunia," said Harry suddenly, "what happened when my mum, you, and your parents came here before? How did you all get onto Platform 9¾? I know I didn't have a clue and wouldn't have known if it wasn't for Ginny's mum."
Petunia looked at Harry for a moment, somewhat shamefacedly. "Harry," she began haltingly, "there is no acceptable reason for my silence on the subject all this time."
"Aunt Petunia, it's probably not the ideal time to talk now. The train's pulling out soon. We need to get through the barrier now. Okay, Aunt Petunia... I need to know how you got through. You're the only one who knows."
"It's simple...," said Petunia. "We just have—"
"Gran, let me tell him! It was explained in my letter from Hogwarts. I guess only Muggle-born kids are told how, since everyone else would be able to enter, too. You just have to hold onto me! Harry and Ginny can help, and Lily, too! Let's go!"
Harry offered his hand to Petunia. She gingerly took it and together they advanced towards the seemingly solid surface.
"Petunia... Simon! I'm... h-h-here!" The whole group looked around. Vernon approached them; his breathing was labored. He gave a perfunctory nod to the Potters and greeted his grandson with a warm embrace.
"Glad you made it! C'mon! We need to hurry, Grandad!"
"Watch!" Lily grabbed Gertrude's hand and casually placed it on her trolley's handlebar. Then they both advanced. "Don't worry, just run right at it! You'll see!" The pair sped down to the wall and—whoosh! They disappeared!
"Our turn!" Simon pulled Vernon over and steered him towards the barrier. "Smile, Grandad. This'll be fun!"
"No! Not... Appartation!"
"No, Uncle Vernon, it's not the same. Just let Simon lead. You can trust him." Harry had instinctively reached to encourage Simon.
"Ready, steady, go!" said Simon, racing towards the barrier, with Vernon trying to hang on. Then—whoosh! They were on Platform 9¾! The gleaming scarlet steam engine appeared before them, as did Lily and Gertrude. Seconds later, Ginny and Dudley arrived, followed by Harry and Petunia. Suddenly, the steam parted allowing them a full view of the train and all the gathered families.
"COOL!" Simon exclaimed.
Vernon tried to keep an impassive face, but he couldn't help that his expression matched his thoughts. He was impressed. "Blimey, what a place! I thought it would look common, but—"
"Oh, dear! It's nearly departure time!" Gertrude interrupted. "You'd better get on the train. Harry, can you help with the trunk? We need to get it on board." Harry obliged, accompanied by Ginny and Lily.
Vernon turned to Simon. "Well my boy, are you sure this is what you want?"
"Now, Dad..."
"Yes, Grandad, more now than ever! Of course, I'll miss everyone, but I'm a wizard and I have to go to Hogwarts. I'm really sure it'll be the best school for me to go to and I'll become the best wizard I can."
"I know you'll do your best," said Petunia.
Everyone agreed and Vernon said, "Atta boy! Show 'em what us Dursleys are made of. Make us proud!"
"Time for hugs," Gertrude said, glancing at the clock.
After Simon received his grandparents' warm embraces, Harry bent over and whispered, "Steer clear of Hagrid’s stoat sandwiches." He shook Simon's hand and smiled. "Goodbye, then. Enjoy yourself! Keep an eye on Lily for me, okay?"
"Bye everyone! See you at Christmas!" Giving his parents one final hug, Simon clambered aboard the Hogwarts Express. He and Lily waved madly as the train departed.
The Dursleys and the Potters watched and waved until it was out of sight. Looking at Petunia, Vernon said, "Now, how are we supposed to get back to the real world?"
"Oh, that's easy. Just walk through. The return trip's included!" said Petunia with a mild chuckle and a wave of her hand.
"How about a cup of tea and some refreshments?" Dudley suggested. Everyone agreed, and they made their way towards the barrier. They walked through, one by one, and headed to a nearby tea room.
"Table for six," Dudley said.
"Oh, no,"said Harry. "We wouldn't want to impose. It's a family party."
"Exactly... and you're family!" Petunia declared. "Although I didn't treat you as such when should've done. Now's the right time to make amends."
* Five Words – Volume 11 Index *
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
| * Five Words - Main Archives * |
| * Five Words - Stories Index (by topic) * |
Last edited by Potteraholic on Fri Aug 12, 2011 9:42 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Archive of Five Words Stories - Volume XI, Story #119 stats
Potteraholic Thu Aug 11, 2011 9:52 am
These stats were first posted by Potteraholic - Jan 9, 2010 2:17 am (#2997 of 2999) on the World Crossing home of the 'Harry Potter Lexicon Forum'.
image c/o www.ukstudentlife.com
Statistics for Story 119
ordered by first contribution to the story
The user in red is the rightful starter of the next story. They are welcome to pass on the privilege to the user who posted the second most number of times, who may in turn pass it to the user who posted the third number of times in the story, and so forth.
Total Submissions: 205
Total Words: 1,030*
Last Submission Date: #2995, Jan 8, 2010, 5:58 pm (legolas returns)
Total Time to Create Story: 6 days, 22 hours, and 6 minutes
* Note: In order to clarify a section of plot in the story, one post, #2922, has 10 words instead of the usual 5. This explains the extra 5 words in the story, which would have contained 1,025 words with 205 posts.
* Five Words – Volume 11 Index *
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
image c/o www.ukstudentlife.com
Statistics for Story 119
ordered by first contribution to the story
User | # of Submissions |
| Solitaire | 49 |
| Potteraholic | 86 |
| Verity Weasley | 23 |
| mona amon | 19 |
| legolas returns | 28 |
Total Submissions: 205
Total Words: 1,030*
Last Submission Date: #2995, Jan 8, 2010, 5:58 pm (legolas returns)
Total Time to Create Story: 6 days, 22 hours, and 6 minutes
* Note: In order to clarify a section of plot in the story, one post, #2922, has 10 words instead of the usual 5. This explains the extra 5 words in the story, which would have contained 1,025 words with 205 posts.
* Five Words – Volume 11 Index *
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
| * Five Words - Main Archives * |
| * Five Words - Stories Index (by topic) * |
Potteraholic- Ravenclaw Prefect
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Archive of Five Words Stories - Volume XI, Story #118 post-story comments
Potteraholic Thu Aug 11, 2011 9:53 am
These post-story comments were first posted by Potteraholic - Nov 24, 2010 7:08 am (#2951 of 2960) [Edited Dec 13, 2010 8 am] on the World Crossing home of the 'Harry Potter Lexicon Forum'.
image c/o www.ukstudentlife.com
Post-Story Comments for Story #119, Volume XI,
Potty Five Words: "A Barrier Breached"
This story was written from January 1, 2010 to January 8, 2010. Five writers contributed to the story, which is 1,030 words long. Five of the five writers posted feedback.
- Potteraholic, Jan 9, 2010 7:11 am: We ended Volume XI with a trio of stories about the Dursleys set post-DH where we tried to stick to HP canon as well as canon that we had created in these other stories about the Dursley family: "The Magical Wedding", "Driving and Disapparation to... Destination, Unknown", and "The 3 Ds: Dursleys, Dementors, and Dinner". With all that canon to stick to, it was hard not to trip up sometimes!
But I think we did quite well, though some folks may think the senior Dursleys have changed too much, esp. Vernon, who didn't put up much resistance to having tea with Harry in a public tea room. Perhaps the subject of these stories, Petunia and/or Vernon trying to right their past wrongs to Harry, could've been better fleshed out in longer stories, but the palindromic length of time to write this story, 6 days 22 hours, and 6 minutes, makes me think we hit close to the mark, just like we did in the equally numerically palindromic "Owl Post!" story.
- mona amon, Jan 9, 2010 2:54 pm: Another good story, I think, and another great title, PAH. I agree that Vernon wouldn't have mellowed so easily, but I think we managed it all rather well in 200 odd posts.
- legolas returns, Jan 9, 2010 8:33 pm: In the third story I wondered if Vernon was being on his best behaviour? Given his previous views I would have thought that he would have had a lot of misgivings about Simon going to Hogwarts but just voiced them in a caring for your welfare way rather than his usual ranty self. I guess keeping in contact with his Dudley/Grandson was more important.
I also wondered if Petunia had had a cheaky with shot of Gin in her tea as she appeared to be in such a high good humor. I would have thought going back to platform 9 ¾ would have brought back a lot of mixed emotions. I am much more convinced that she could have moved on and accepted Simon as a wizard more easily than Vernon.
- Potteraholic, Jan 9, 2010 9:18 pm: legolas, thanks for your comments! In hindsight, writing stories about the senior Dursleys having a change of heart, or at least beginning to, would have been much easier, or more realistic, if told at a slower pace. A lot more things needed to be said. The 'express' stories at the end of a thread (the few times we use countdowns), are best-suited for more lighthearted tales. Oh, well! Live and learn!
- Solitaire, Jan 9, 2010 9:27 pm: … I did note that your title was absolutely perfect, as it pertained to two "barriers."
- Verity Weasley, Jan 10, 2010 1:57 am: Great title as always PAH. You really have a knack for it. I always struggle with titles for anything I write. You took the words out of my mouth in your earlier comment. I enjoyed these three stories but I did feel that they were a bit rushed for what we were trying to do. In such a short story, something has to be sacrificed. Either character development, or plot. While we had interesting events happening in these stories, they could have benefited from a bit more fleshing out, I feel. In our last story, I imagine that Vernon was under strict instructions to be on his best behaviour.
* Five Words – Volume 11 Index *
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
image c/o www.ukstudentlife.com
Post-Story Comments for Story #119, Volume XI,
Potty Five Words: "A Barrier Breached"
This story was written from January 1, 2010 to January 8, 2010. Five writers contributed to the story, which is 1,030 words long. Five of the five writers posted feedback.
- Potteraholic, Jan 9, 2010 7:11 am: We ended Volume XI with a trio of stories about the Dursleys set post-DH where we tried to stick to HP canon as well as canon that we had created in these other stories about the Dursley family: "The Magical Wedding", "Driving and Disapparation to... Destination, Unknown", and "The 3 Ds: Dursleys, Dementors, and Dinner". With all that canon to stick to, it was hard not to trip up sometimes!
But I think we did quite well, though some folks may think the senior Dursleys have changed too much, esp. Vernon, who didn't put up much resistance to having tea with Harry in a public tea room. Perhaps the subject of these stories, Petunia and/or Vernon trying to right their past wrongs to Harry, could've been better fleshed out in longer stories, but the palindromic length of time to write this story, 6 days 22 hours, and 6 minutes, makes me think we hit close to the mark, just like we did in the equally numerically palindromic "Owl Post!" story.
- mona amon, Jan 9, 2010 2:54 pm: Another good story, I think, and another great title, PAH. I agree that Vernon wouldn't have mellowed so easily, but I think we managed it all rather well in 200 odd posts.
- legolas returns, Jan 9, 2010 8:33 pm: In the third story I wondered if Vernon was being on his best behaviour? Given his previous views I would have thought that he would have had a lot of misgivings about Simon going to Hogwarts but just voiced them in a caring for your welfare way rather than his usual ranty self. I guess keeping in contact with his Dudley/Grandson was more important.
I also wondered if Petunia had had a cheaky with shot of Gin in her tea as she appeared to be in such a high good humor. I would have thought going back to platform 9 ¾ would have brought back a lot of mixed emotions. I am much more convinced that she could have moved on and accepted Simon as a wizard more easily than Vernon.
- Potteraholic, Jan 9, 2010 9:18 pm: legolas, thanks for your comments! In hindsight, writing stories about the senior Dursleys having a change of heart, or at least beginning to, would have been much easier, or more realistic, if told at a slower pace. A lot more things needed to be said. The 'express' stories at the end of a thread (the few times we use countdowns), are best-suited for more lighthearted tales. Oh, well! Live and learn!
- Solitaire, Jan 9, 2010 9:27 pm: … I did note that your title was absolutely perfect, as it pertained to two "barriers."
- Verity Weasley, Jan 10, 2010 1:57 am: Great title as always PAH. You really have a knack for it. I always struggle with titles for anything I write. You took the words out of my mouth in your earlier comment. I enjoyed these three stories but I did feel that they were a bit rushed for what we were trying to do. In such a short story, something has to be sacrificed. Either character development, or plot. While we had interesting events happening in these stories, they could have benefited from a bit more fleshing out, I feel. In our last story, I imagine that Vernon was under strict instructions to be on his best behaviour.
* Five Words – Volume 11 Index *
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
| * Five Words - Main Archives * |
| * Five Words - Stories Index (by topic) * |
Last edited by Potteraholic on Mon Aug 15, 2011 8:46 am; edited 1 time in total
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Archive of Five Words Stories - Volume XI, Stories #117, 118, #119 all-in-one
Potteraholic Thu Aug 11, 2011 10:12 am
Note: Stories #117, #118, and #119 are a trio of stories about the Dursleys set post-DH and explore the notion that the Dursleys may have a bit of magic in them yet. This post lets you read all of them very easily, all in one place. 
image c/o www.harrypotterrealm.com
Gertrude and Dudley's son, Simon was ensconced in the living room, on the big red sofa. He was reading a book with colorful pictures of cheese from around the world called Cheeses Here and Cheeses There: Cheeses, Cheeses, Everywhere! It had no words in it, but the toddler seemed captivated by the pictures, which moved when he poked them. He squealed in a delighted fashion and called out, "Da-da, Da-da!"
Dudley was bustling about, getting things ready for Simon's first birthday party. The balloons were hanging all around the room. "What's it that you're trying to show Daddy?" he cooed walking to the sofa. "Tell Daddy what you've got? Let Daddy see. Oh, you've got Auntie Greta's present!" He sat down next to his son, ruffling his hair. He bent down to look at the book.
"Da-da!" Simon grinned, pointing at an Edam cheese, "Ball!"
Shock, then panic, filled Dudley's mind as he realized exactly what this meant. His son must be magical! "Gertrude! Simon was pointing at a moving picture. He said its name and it just moved!"
Gertrude looked up from her baking with a smile. "Oh, he's just a little parrot," she smiled. "I was reading that book to him after breakfast this morning. Auntie Greta said that the pictures would only move when touched." She walked over from the counter and joined Simon and Dudley on the sofa.
"I think perhaps we should put it away until after the party," Dudley cautioned. "Dad'll throw a fit if he sees anything that seems remotely magical."
"You're probably right," agreed Gertrude, "Although if he really is a wizard, they'll have to know sooner or later. We can't hide it forever. For now, though, let's get on with the party preparations." A few hours from now, Vernon and Petunia would be arriving, and Gertrude wanted everything to be perfect.
Later that day, the doorbell rang. Simon raced excitedly toward the door, but stumbled, his little legs unsteady. Dudley opened the door, and there stood his mum and dad. Soon the house was filled with shrill cries of "Come to Gran-Gran, my little sweet-sweet." Petunia picked Simon up and gave him a hug.
Vernon cuffed him on the chin and bounced him on his knee. "That's my boy," he chortled. Simon wriggled and squealed. Fortunately, the doorbell rang again and Gertrude's Uncle Elfred entered, a large present in hand, followed soon after by Aunt Greta and Gertrude's parents.
"Has everybody met each other before? I met you two at the wedding!" boomed Greta enthusiastically, turning to the Dursleys.
"Yes," Petunia replied caustically, "I'll never forget that interesting dress you wore."
Greta's face lit up. "Did you like it? It was made especially, by Madame Malkin, for the occasion."
Petunia couldn't decide exactly what to say. Elfred saved her the trouble by choosing that moment to send rainbow-colored sparks into the air. Little Simon squealed with delight and clapped his hands as the sparks flew in multiple directions and criss-crossed just above his head. Vernon looked horror-struck, while Petunia looked firmly in the other direction. Suddenly, the fizzling embers transformed into a flock of multi-colored butterflies.
"Stop that nonsense at once!" cried Vernon furiously. "My grandson must not be subjected to the influence of this perverse behavior... this abnormality!"
"Dad! That's utterly unfair and very rude. He's only doing magic!" Dudley said in a forceful voice. Just then, Vernon's tie flew up into his large face and began slapping him, playfully.
"Elfred, please," Greta said uncomfortably. "Stop moving Mr. Dursley's tie!"
"I'm not doing that!" Elfred said, changing a snort into a cough. The assembled adults all looked puzzled and shrugged... except for Uncle Vernon, who turned purple in the face. The vein in his temple throbbed. His jaw was clenched. He looked like he was about to explode, when Simon giggled and pointed at Vernon's tie. He clapped his chubby hands and bounced up and down, mimicking the action of the errant accessory.
"Simon?" Gertrude spluttered in a slightly higher voice. "What are you doing? Why are you mimicking what that tie's doing, my little darling?"
"He's the one who's doing it? Wonderful! Already showing magical prowess at such a tender age?" Elfred exclaimed excitedly.
"Preposterous!" Vernon bellowed. "He's just a baby!"
"Didn't something similar happen with Harry when he was about that age? I remember Aunt Marge's handkerchief story..." Dudley trailed off, looking at his parents. "She was trying to pick it up and it kept blowing across the room, down the stairs and she thought it was caused by the breeze. But Harry had just been annoying her."
"He was crying," Petunia added, "because she passed unkind comments about his hair. She waved the handkerchief at him to tell him to stop blubbering, but that was when it flew out of her hand."
"I remember other things, too," Dudley exclaimed. "That jumper! The one that kept shrinking when you tried to force it over his head! I remember poor Harry saying, 'It hurts!' And soon it was so small that it would only fit a very small infant."
Aunt Greta nodded, saying, "That makes sense. It's only natural that little Simon would be magical, since both his parents carry the gene."
"WHAT???" Vernon yelled, jumping up so fast that he knocked a small vase of flowers over. He turned to Petunia and said, "I married a freak gene carrier?"
"Dad! That's enough! Don't say that your grandson is a freak, or I'll have to ask you to leave and not come back until you've stopped judging Simon for something he can't control."
"And apologized, too!" said Gertrude in a trembling voice. "For ruining Simon's birthday party with your prejudiced comments."
Vernon blinked, then said, "Fine!" and stormed toward the front door.
"Petunia?"
"I'm staying," she mumbled. Suddenly the doorbell rang, just as Vernon jerked the door open.
"Er... hello," said Harry, who was standing on the doorstep with Ginny and the kids.
"Aarrgh!!!" cried Uncle Vernon, who looked like he was going to explode. "More freaks? I'm off! Goodbye!"
image c/o kvitters.com
Simon Dursley was playing checkers with his Gran Petunia. His Grandpa Vernon sat watching him as though he were a ticking bomb, likely to explode at any moment. It was midway through summer break and Petunia and Vernon were visiting for Dudley's birthday. They were drinking tea and having some leftover birthday cake and jelly with ice cream.
"Gran, this is cool, particularly the mandarin orange slices. Mum never makes me fun stuff like this!"
"What don't I ever make?" said Gertrude, frowning. "I thought you loved my cooking?"
Simon hurriedly looked up, saying, "Oh, Mum! I do love it, but Gran's food is always like holidays... different and special!" Petunia's thin face glowed with pride and satisfaction that her grandson enjoyed her cooking so much. It made her feel happy, especially since Dudley didn't eat many of her desserts anymore. Ever since his marriage, he had become more health conscious.
"So, Dudley," Vernon began, "where are you thinking of sending young Simon? Smeltings, of course, is an excellent school. I presume you'll be—"
"Dad there are other schools besides Smeltings… schools that will help mold Simon better. As you know, we've been exploring other options. We've even talked to Harry..." Dudley paused, looking warily at his father, expecting the worst.
"Harry?! What for?! Why speak to him?" sneered Vernon. "All his children went to that freak borstal that he attended. Why would you ask him anything about schooling for Simon? He's a Dursley, and all Dursley men go to Smeltings! It's a family tradition!" Vernon was breathing heavily and his face was turning purple. Dudley knew the warning signs and tried to change the subject to something that Vernon liked.
"We saw Aunt Marge last month and she seemed—"
"Don't try changing the subject!" growled Vernon. "I want an answer."
Dudley and Gertrude exchanged looks, and Gertrude began to speak. "Simon has been showing some unmistakable manifestations of early magic. He's clearly a wizard! Remember his first birthday party? That was only the start of his innate magical aptitude."
Vernon's face began to turn purple again and then deathly pale, for at that moment, a small, tawny owl zoomed in through the open window. Vernon stared at the yellow envelope, and Petunia whimpered.
Gertrude hurried over to the owl, unfastened the letter, and said, "It's from Hogwarts, Simon. It's addressed to you!"
Simon reached for it, as did Vernon. But Simon was faster and snatched it away.
"Dad, that's Simon's mail, not yours. He's got the right to open his own mail, after all. Just like Harry did, even though he was never allowed to that summer... when he was with us. I sometimes feel very guilty about—"
"Dad, Mom, Gran!" interrupted Simon, "Look at this! I've been invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry when I go back to school after I finish up primary school."
"What? Give me that!" Vernon barked.
"No, Dad. I'll read it. You get so upset when the word 'magic' is mentioned. But Dad, you're going to have to grow up! Simon's a wizard. Deal with it as it won't go away."
Vernon sat in silence, unused to being given ultimatums.
Dudley nodded and said, "Right, now that that's settled, let's dig into that cake and—"
"Wait... what's been settled?" Petunia asked in a slightly bemused tone. "Will Simon be going to Hogwarts next year or is there some other alternative?"
"Yes, next year. His place is there, where he can reach his full magical potential. What's more, he won't be alone. It'll be Lily's last year, and she'll watch out for him."
Simon nodded eagerly and asked, "Can we send both letters right away?"
"Both?"
"One to Hogwarts, accepting their invitation. And one to Lily, telling her I'm a wizard, too," Simon explained.
"Oh, Simon, you don't need an owl! Just send a letter. That's what I did," Petunia said.
Dudley turned and goggled at her. But Vernon goggled even harder. What was she saying? This thought ran through Vernon's brain like a speeding locomotive. Was it possible that his wife's attitude to magic wasn't what it seemed? How could it be that she'd kept this a secret all these years.
"You received this sort of rubbish all those years ago?"
"No, Vernon. I wrote to Dumbledore. You see, I wanted to join Lily at Hogwarts, because I missed her."
"You did?" Dudley asked. "You never told me that. You only spoke ill of her and said you were glad that she—"
"Stop! Enough!" Petunia cried. "It's time you knew... I just wanted to do magic ... like Lily did! There!" Petunia sighed heavily, then looked away. A long silence followed her emotional confession.
Dudley was about to speak, but Vernon held up his hand and quickly said, "Petunia, we should probably get going. It's late and I've—"
"Grandpa! Gran! Don't leave yet!
"No, Mum, Dad..." Dudley began. "This is important. It's time we talked about the things that you've ignored."
Gertrude spoke up. "Simon's letter needs a reply," she reminded them. "And the owl's still standing here, waiting. Simon, it's your choice."
"Yes," Petunia added, "and it is important to be open-minded—"
"I will, Gran, and thanks for understanding. It'll be great to see Hogwarts and Lily, and learn more about magic and how to fly! Actually, Harry could teach me and—"
Chuckling, Gertrude said, "I guess we'd better send those letters off, my dear."
"Right-o, Trudie!" Dudley agreed, looking at Simon. "Ready, mate?" Simon nodded enthusiastically and threw his energies into writing his letters.
"Mum, thank you for telling us about you and Aunt Lily. I know it was hard for you. And Dad, I really hope you can set aside your feelings about magic ... or maybe reassess them, given Mum's change of heart."
Dudley thought he saw the slightest nod.
"Ready, Dad!" Simon announced, handing him the letters. After attaching both to the owl's leg, he opened the window, and the owl flew into the night, toward Hogwarts.
image c/o www.ukstudentlife.com
September first had finally arrived! Simon Dursley's Hogwarts trunk was loaded with robes, books, and everything else included on his list, as the Dursleys pulled into King's Cross Station.
"Dad," said Simon excitedly, "look!" He was pointing at Harry, Ginny, and Lily, who were standing by the station entrance, waving excitedly. Minutes later, Simon breathlessly joined them, while Dudley and Gertrude wrestled his heavy trunk onto a trolley.
"Shall we?" Dudley asked, and they both grabbed the handlebar and pushed the trolley over.
"Harry! Ginny! Glad to see you! We could use some help getting onto Platform 9¾," Dudley admitted.
"Yes," Gertrude agreed, "But we were hoping Petunia and Vernon would've at least tried to make it in time to say goodbye. My parents rang from the cruise ship and spoke to Simon right before we left this morning and wished him luck. He'll be so disappointed if Petunia, at least, doesn't come to see him off."
Dudley scanned the parking lot for Petunia's car while Simon asked Harry questions about Hogwarts. Suddenly, Dudley saw a familiar dark blue Vauxhall stop across the street. Petunia stepped out, saw Dudley, and stopped for a moment. Just then, the car behind hooted irritably, and she started walking quickly, calling, "Vernon, hurry! Park and let's get over there." Petunia crossed the road quickly. "It's nearly 10:30!"
"Right, dear!" Vernon mumbled, moving off into the general direction where the other cars were heading.
"Oh, Gran! You're here!" Simon exclaimed as Petunia joined them. Together they made their way towards the designated platform: the three Potters and the Dursleys making animated conversation.
"Wait!" said Petunia as they approached the ticket barrier. "Your Grandad's on his way. He'll be just a minute."
"No problem," Ginny said. "There's still twenty minutes until the train leaves."
Harry looked around, remembering how he felt all those years ago. "Aunt Petunia," said Harry suddenly, "what happened when my mum, you, and your parents came here before? How did you all get onto Platform 9¾? I know I didn't have a clue and wouldn't have known if it wasn't for Ginny's mum."
Petunia looked at Harry for a moment, somewhat shamefacedly. "Harry," she began haltingly, "there is no acceptable reason for my silence on the subject all this time."
"Aunt Petunia, it's probably not the ideal time to talk now. The train's pulling out soon. We need to get through the barrier now. Okay, Aunt Petunia... I need to know how you got through. You're the only one who knows."
"It's simple...," said Petunia. "We just have—"
"Gran, let me tell him! It was explained in my letter from Hogwarts. I guess only Muggle-born kids are told how, since everyone else would be able to enter, too. You just have to hold onto me! Harry and Ginny can help, and Lily, too! Let's go!"
Harry offered his hand to Petunia. She gingerly took it and together they advanced towards the seemingly solid surface.
"Petunia... Simon! I'm... h-h-here!" The whole group looked around. Vernon approached them; his breathing was labored. He gave a perfunctory nod to the Potters and greeted his grandson with a warm embrace.
"Glad you made it! C'mon! We need to hurry, Grandad!"
"Watch!" Lily grabbed Gertrude's hand and casually placed it on her trolley's handlebar. Then they both advanced. "Don't worry, just run right at it! You'll see!" The pair sped down to the wall and—whoosh! They disappeared!
"Our turn!" Simon pulled Vernon over and steered him towards the barrier. "Smile, Grandad. This'll be fun!"
"No! Not... Appartation!"
"No, Uncle Vernon, it's not the same. Just let Simon lead. You can trust him." Harry had instinctively reached to encourage Simon.
"Ready, steady, go!" said Simon, racing towards the barrier, with Vernon trying to hang on. Then—whoosh! They were on Platform 9¾! The gleaming scarlet steam engine appeared before them, as did Lily and Gertrude. Seconds later, Ginny and Dudley arrived, followed by Harry and Petunia. Suddenly, the steam parted allowing them a full view of the train and all the gathered families.
"COOL!" Simon exclaimed.
Vernon tried to keep an impassive face, but he couldn't help that his expression matched his thoughts. He was impressed. "Blimey, what a place! I thought it would look common, but—"
"Oh, dear! It's nearly departure time!" Gertrude interrupted. "You'd better get on the train. Harry, can you help with the trunk? We need to get it on board." Harry obliged, accompanied by Ginny and Lily.
Vernon turned to Simon. "Well my boy, are you sure this is what you want?"
"Now, Dad..."
"Yes, Grandad, more now than ever! Of course, I'll miss everyone, but I'm a wizard and I have to go to Hogwarts. I'm really sure it'll be the best school for me to go to and I'll become the best wizard I can."
"I know you'll do your best," said Petunia.
Everyone agreed and Vernon said, "Atta boy! Show 'em what us Dursleys are made of. Make us proud!"
"Time for hugs," Gertrude said, glancing at the clock.
After Simon received his grandparents' warm embraces, Harry bent over and whispered, "Steer clear of Hagrid’s stoat sandwiches." He shook Simon's hand and smiled. "Goodbye, then. Enjoy yourself! Keep an eye on Lily for me, okay?"
"Bye everyone! See you at Christmas!" Giving his parents one final hug, Simon clambered aboard the Hogwarts Express. He and Lily waved madly as the train departed.
The Dursleys and the Potters watched and waved until it was out of sight. Looking at Petunia, Vernon said, "Now, how are we supposed to get back to the real world?"
"Oh, that's easy. Just walk through. The return trip's included!" said Petunia with a mild chuckle and a wave of her hand.
"How about a cup of tea and some refreshments?" Dudley suggested. Everyone agreed, and they made their way towards the barrier. They walked through, one by one, and headed to a nearby tea room.
"Table for six," Dudley said.
"Oh, no,"said Harry. "We wouldn't want to impose. It's a family party."
"Exactly... and you're family!" Petunia declared. "Although I didn't treat you as such when should've done. Now's the right time to make amends."
* Five Words – Volume 11 Index *
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
image c/o www.harrypotterrealm.com
Potty Five Words: "A Birthday… Surprise!"
Gertrude and Dudley's son, Simon was ensconced in the living room, on the big red sofa. He was reading a book with colorful pictures of cheese from around the world called Cheeses Here and Cheeses There: Cheeses, Cheeses, Everywhere! It had no words in it, but the toddler seemed captivated by the pictures, which moved when he poked them. He squealed in a delighted fashion and called out, "Da-da, Da-da!"
Dudley was bustling about, getting things ready for Simon's first birthday party. The balloons were hanging all around the room. "What's it that you're trying to show Daddy?" he cooed walking to the sofa. "Tell Daddy what you've got? Let Daddy see. Oh, you've got Auntie Greta's present!" He sat down next to his son, ruffling his hair. He bent down to look at the book.
"Da-da!" Simon grinned, pointing at an Edam cheese, "Ball!"
Shock, then panic, filled Dudley's mind as he realized exactly what this meant. His son must be magical! "Gertrude! Simon was pointing at a moving picture. He said its name and it just moved!"
Gertrude looked up from her baking with a smile. "Oh, he's just a little parrot," she smiled. "I was reading that book to him after breakfast this morning. Auntie Greta said that the pictures would only move when touched." She walked over from the counter and joined Simon and Dudley on the sofa.
"I think perhaps we should put it away until after the party," Dudley cautioned. "Dad'll throw a fit if he sees anything that seems remotely magical."
"You're probably right," agreed Gertrude, "Although if he really is a wizard, they'll have to know sooner or later. We can't hide it forever. For now, though, let's get on with the party preparations." A few hours from now, Vernon and Petunia would be arriving, and Gertrude wanted everything to be perfect.
Later that day, the doorbell rang. Simon raced excitedly toward the door, but stumbled, his little legs unsteady. Dudley opened the door, and there stood his mum and dad. Soon the house was filled with shrill cries of "Come to Gran-Gran, my little sweet-sweet." Petunia picked Simon up and gave him a hug.
Vernon cuffed him on the chin and bounced him on his knee. "That's my boy," he chortled. Simon wriggled and squealed. Fortunately, the doorbell rang again and Gertrude's Uncle Elfred entered, a large present in hand, followed soon after by Aunt Greta and Gertrude's parents.
"Has everybody met each other before? I met you two at the wedding!" boomed Greta enthusiastically, turning to the Dursleys.
"Yes," Petunia replied caustically, "I'll never forget that interesting dress you wore."
Greta's face lit up. "Did you like it? It was made especially, by Madame Malkin, for the occasion."
Petunia couldn't decide exactly what to say. Elfred saved her the trouble by choosing that moment to send rainbow-colored sparks into the air. Little Simon squealed with delight and clapped his hands as the sparks flew in multiple directions and criss-crossed just above his head. Vernon looked horror-struck, while Petunia looked firmly in the other direction. Suddenly, the fizzling embers transformed into a flock of multi-colored butterflies.
"Stop that nonsense at once!" cried Vernon furiously. "My grandson must not be subjected to the influence of this perverse behavior... this abnormality!"
"Dad! That's utterly unfair and very rude. He's only doing magic!" Dudley said in a forceful voice. Just then, Vernon's tie flew up into his large face and began slapping him, playfully.
"Elfred, please," Greta said uncomfortably. "Stop moving Mr. Dursley's tie!"
"I'm not doing that!" Elfred said, changing a snort into a cough. The assembled adults all looked puzzled and shrugged... except for Uncle Vernon, who turned purple in the face. The vein in his temple throbbed. His jaw was clenched. He looked like he was about to explode, when Simon giggled and pointed at Vernon's tie. He clapped his chubby hands and bounced up and down, mimicking the action of the errant accessory.
"Simon?" Gertrude spluttered in a slightly higher voice. "What are you doing? Why are you mimicking what that tie's doing, my little darling?"
"He's the one who's doing it? Wonderful! Already showing magical prowess at such a tender age?" Elfred exclaimed excitedly.
"Preposterous!" Vernon bellowed. "He's just a baby!"
"Didn't something similar happen with Harry when he was about that age? I remember Aunt Marge's handkerchief story..." Dudley trailed off, looking at his parents. "She was trying to pick it up and it kept blowing across the room, down the stairs and she thought it was caused by the breeze. But Harry had just been annoying her."
"He was crying," Petunia added, "because she passed unkind comments about his hair. She waved the handkerchief at him to tell him to stop blubbering, but that was when it flew out of her hand."
"I remember other things, too," Dudley exclaimed. "That jumper! The one that kept shrinking when you tried to force it over his head! I remember poor Harry saying, 'It hurts!' And soon it was so small that it would only fit a very small infant."
Aunt Greta nodded, saying, "That makes sense. It's only natural that little Simon would be magical, since both his parents carry the gene."
"WHAT???" Vernon yelled, jumping up so fast that he knocked a small vase of flowers over. He turned to Petunia and said, "I married a freak gene carrier?"
"Dad! That's enough! Don't say that your grandson is a freak, or I'll have to ask you to leave and not come back until you've stopped judging Simon for something he can't control."
"And apologized, too!" said Gertrude in a trembling voice. "For ruining Simon's birthday party with your prejudiced comments."
Vernon blinked, then said, "Fine!" and stormed toward the front door.
"Petunia?"
"I'm staying," she mumbled. Suddenly the doorbell rang, just as Vernon jerked the door open.
"Er... hello," said Harry, who was standing on the doorstep with Ginny and the kids.
"Aarrgh!!!" cried Uncle Vernon, who looked like he was going to explode. "More freaks? I'm off! Goodbye!"
image c/o kvitters.com
Potty Five Words: "Owl Post!"
Simon Dursley was playing checkers with his Gran Petunia. His Grandpa Vernon sat watching him as though he were a ticking bomb, likely to explode at any moment. It was midway through summer break and Petunia and Vernon were visiting for Dudley's birthday. They were drinking tea and having some leftover birthday cake and jelly with ice cream.
"Gran, this is cool, particularly the mandarin orange slices. Mum never makes me fun stuff like this!"
"What don't I ever make?" said Gertrude, frowning. "I thought you loved my cooking?"
Simon hurriedly looked up, saying, "Oh, Mum! I do love it, but Gran's food is always like holidays... different and special!" Petunia's thin face glowed with pride and satisfaction that her grandson enjoyed her cooking so much. It made her feel happy, especially since Dudley didn't eat many of her desserts anymore. Ever since his marriage, he had become more health conscious.
"So, Dudley," Vernon began, "where are you thinking of sending young Simon? Smeltings, of course, is an excellent school. I presume you'll be—"
"Dad there are other schools besides Smeltings… schools that will help mold Simon better. As you know, we've been exploring other options. We've even talked to Harry..." Dudley paused, looking warily at his father, expecting the worst.
"Harry?! What for?! Why speak to him?" sneered Vernon. "All his children went to that freak borstal that he attended. Why would you ask him anything about schooling for Simon? He's a Dursley, and all Dursley men go to Smeltings! It's a family tradition!" Vernon was breathing heavily and his face was turning purple. Dudley knew the warning signs and tried to change the subject to something that Vernon liked.
"We saw Aunt Marge last month and she seemed—"
"Don't try changing the subject!" growled Vernon. "I want an answer."
Dudley and Gertrude exchanged looks, and Gertrude began to speak. "Simon has been showing some unmistakable manifestations of early magic. He's clearly a wizard! Remember his first birthday party? That was only the start of his innate magical aptitude."
Vernon's face began to turn purple again and then deathly pale, for at that moment, a small, tawny owl zoomed in through the open window. Vernon stared at the yellow envelope, and Petunia whimpered.
Gertrude hurried over to the owl, unfastened the letter, and said, "It's from Hogwarts, Simon. It's addressed to you!"
Simon reached for it, as did Vernon. But Simon was faster and snatched it away.
"Dad, that's Simon's mail, not yours. He's got the right to open his own mail, after all. Just like Harry did, even though he was never allowed to that summer... when he was with us. I sometimes feel very guilty about—"
"Dad, Mom, Gran!" interrupted Simon, "Look at this! I've been invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry when I go back to school after I finish up primary school."
"What? Give me that!" Vernon barked.
"No, Dad. I'll read it. You get so upset when the word 'magic' is mentioned. But Dad, you're going to have to grow up! Simon's a wizard. Deal with it as it won't go away."
Vernon sat in silence, unused to being given ultimatums.
Dudley nodded and said, "Right, now that that's settled, let's dig into that cake and—"
"Wait... what's been settled?" Petunia asked in a slightly bemused tone. "Will Simon be going to Hogwarts next year or is there some other alternative?"
"Yes, next year. His place is there, where he can reach his full magical potential. What's more, he won't be alone. It'll be Lily's last year, and she'll watch out for him."
Simon nodded eagerly and asked, "Can we send both letters right away?"
"Both?"
"One to Hogwarts, accepting their invitation. And one to Lily, telling her I'm a wizard, too," Simon explained.
"Oh, Simon, you don't need an owl! Just send a letter. That's what I did," Petunia said.
Dudley turned and goggled at her. But Vernon goggled even harder. What was she saying? This thought ran through Vernon's brain like a speeding locomotive. Was it possible that his wife's attitude to magic wasn't what it seemed? How could it be that she'd kept this a secret all these years.
"You received this sort of rubbish all those years ago?"
"No, Vernon. I wrote to Dumbledore. You see, I wanted to join Lily at Hogwarts, because I missed her."
"You did?" Dudley asked. "You never told me that. You only spoke ill of her and said you were glad that she—"
"Stop! Enough!" Petunia cried. "It's time you knew... I just wanted to do magic ... like Lily did! There!" Petunia sighed heavily, then looked away. A long silence followed her emotional confession.
Dudley was about to speak, but Vernon held up his hand and quickly said, "Petunia, we should probably get going. It's late and I've—"
"Grandpa! Gran! Don't leave yet!
"No, Mum, Dad..." Dudley began. "This is important. It's time we talked about the things that you've ignored."
Gertrude spoke up. "Simon's letter needs a reply," she reminded them. "And the owl's still standing here, waiting. Simon, it's your choice."
"Yes," Petunia added, "and it is important to be open-minded—"
"I will, Gran, and thanks for understanding. It'll be great to see Hogwarts and Lily, and learn more about magic and how to fly! Actually, Harry could teach me and—"
Chuckling, Gertrude said, "I guess we'd better send those letters off, my dear."
"Right-o, Trudie!" Dudley agreed, looking at Simon. "Ready, mate?" Simon nodded enthusiastically and threw his energies into writing his letters.
"Mum, thank you for telling us about you and Aunt Lily. I know it was hard for you. And Dad, I really hope you can set aside your feelings about magic ... or maybe reassess them, given Mum's change of heart."
Dudley thought he saw the slightest nod.
"Ready, Dad!" Simon announced, handing him the letters. After attaching both to the owl's leg, he opened the window, and the owl flew into the night, toward Hogwarts.
image c/o www.ukstudentlife.com
Potty Five Words: "A Barrier Breached"
September first had finally arrived! Simon Dursley's Hogwarts trunk was loaded with robes, books, and everything else included on his list, as the Dursleys pulled into King's Cross Station.
"Dad," said Simon excitedly, "look!" He was pointing at Harry, Ginny, and Lily, who were standing by the station entrance, waving excitedly. Minutes later, Simon breathlessly joined them, while Dudley and Gertrude wrestled his heavy trunk onto a trolley.
"Shall we?" Dudley asked, and they both grabbed the handlebar and pushed the trolley over.
"Harry! Ginny! Glad to see you! We could use some help getting onto Platform 9¾," Dudley admitted.
"Yes," Gertrude agreed, "But we were hoping Petunia and Vernon would've at least tried to make it in time to say goodbye. My parents rang from the cruise ship and spoke to Simon right before we left this morning and wished him luck. He'll be so disappointed if Petunia, at least, doesn't come to see him off."
Dudley scanned the parking lot for Petunia's car while Simon asked Harry questions about Hogwarts. Suddenly, Dudley saw a familiar dark blue Vauxhall stop across the street. Petunia stepped out, saw Dudley, and stopped for a moment. Just then, the car behind hooted irritably, and she started walking quickly, calling, "Vernon, hurry! Park and let's get over there." Petunia crossed the road quickly. "It's nearly 10:30!"
"Right, dear!" Vernon mumbled, moving off into the general direction where the other cars were heading.
"Oh, Gran! You're here!" Simon exclaimed as Petunia joined them. Together they made their way towards the designated platform: the three Potters and the Dursleys making animated conversation.
"Wait!" said Petunia as they approached the ticket barrier. "Your Grandad's on his way. He'll be just a minute."
"No problem," Ginny said. "There's still twenty minutes until the train leaves."
Harry looked around, remembering how he felt all those years ago. "Aunt Petunia," said Harry suddenly, "what happened when my mum, you, and your parents came here before? How did you all get onto Platform 9¾? I know I didn't have a clue and wouldn't have known if it wasn't for Ginny's mum."
Petunia looked at Harry for a moment, somewhat shamefacedly. "Harry," she began haltingly, "there is no acceptable reason for my silence on the subject all this time."
"Aunt Petunia, it's probably not the ideal time to talk now. The train's pulling out soon. We need to get through the barrier now. Okay, Aunt Petunia... I need to know how you got through. You're the only one who knows."
"It's simple...," said Petunia. "We just have—"
"Gran, let me tell him! It was explained in my letter from Hogwarts. I guess only Muggle-born kids are told how, since everyone else would be able to enter, too. You just have to hold onto me! Harry and Ginny can help, and Lily, too! Let's go!"
Harry offered his hand to Petunia. She gingerly took it and together they advanced towards the seemingly solid surface.
"Petunia... Simon! I'm... h-h-here!" The whole group looked around. Vernon approached them; his breathing was labored. He gave a perfunctory nod to the Potters and greeted his grandson with a warm embrace.
"Glad you made it! C'mon! We need to hurry, Grandad!"
"Watch!" Lily grabbed Gertrude's hand and casually placed it on her trolley's handlebar. Then they both advanced. "Don't worry, just run right at it! You'll see!" The pair sped down to the wall and—whoosh! They disappeared!
"Our turn!" Simon pulled Vernon over and steered him towards the barrier. "Smile, Grandad. This'll be fun!"
"No! Not... Appartation!"
"No, Uncle Vernon, it's not the same. Just let Simon lead. You can trust him." Harry had instinctively reached to encourage Simon.
"Ready, steady, go!" said Simon, racing towards the barrier, with Vernon trying to hang on. Then—whoosh! They were on Platform 9¾! The gleaming scarlet steam engine appeared before them, as did Lily and Gertrude. Seconds later, Ginny and Dudley arrived, followed by Harry and Petunia. Suddenly, the steam parted allowing them a full view of the train and all the gathered families.
"COOL!" Simon exclaimed.
Vernon tried to keep an impassive face, but he couldn't help that his expression matched his thoughts. He was impressed. "Blimey, what a place! I thought it would look common, but—"
"Oh, dear! It's nearly departure time!" Gertrude interrupted. "You'd better get on the train. Harry, can you help with the trunk? We need to get it on board." Harry obliged, accompanied by Ginny and Lily.
Vernon turned to Simon. "Well my boy, are you sure this is what you want?"
"Now, Dad..."
"Yes, Grandad, more now than ever! Of course, I'll miss everyone, but I'm a wizard and I have to go to Hogwarts. I'm really sure it'll be the best school for me to go to and I'll become the best wizard I can."
"I know you'll do your best," said Petunia.
Everyone agreed and Vernon said, "Atta boy! Show 'em what us Dursleys are made of. Make us proud!"
"Time for hugs," Gertrude said, glancing at the clock.
After Simon received his grandparents' warm embraces, Harry bent over and whispered, "Steer clear of Hagrid’s stoat sandwiches." He shook Simon's hand and smiled. "Goodbye, then. Enjoy yourself! Keep an eye on Lily for me, okay?"
"Bye everyone! See you at Christmas!" Giving his parents one final hug, Simon clambered aboard the Hogwarts Express. He and Lily waved madly as the train departed.
The Dursleys and the Potters watched and waved until it was out of sight. Looking at Petunia, Vernon said, "Now, how are we supposed to get back to the real world?"
"Oh, that's easy. Just walk through. The return trip's included!" said Petunia with a mild chuckle and a wave of her hand.
"How about a cup of tea and some refreshments?" Dudley suggested. Everyone agreed, and they made their way towards the barrier. They walked through, one by one, and headed to a nearby tea room.
"Table for six," Dudley said.
"Oh, no,"said Harry. "We wouldn't want to impose. It's a family party."
"Exactly... and you're family!" Petunia declared. "Although I didn't treat you as such when should've done. Now's the right time to make amends."
* Five Words – Volume 11 Index *
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Potteraholic- Ravenclaw Prefect
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Archive of Five Words Stories - Volume XII Index
Potteraholic Thu Aug 11, 2011 10:25 am
This page contains a list with links to all the stories written in Volume XII.
Five Words Stories - Volume XII
NOTE: R attached to a story # refers to it being a Revision Story
• Click on Story #120 (6 Feb 2010) for "Posting for Porlocks"
• Click on Story #121 (26 Feb 2010) for "The Wandering Wizard"
• Click on Story #122 (1 April 2010) for "Hogwarts, Year One, 1970"
• Click on Story #123 (24 April 2010) for "The Wagga Wagga Werewolf: A Fantastical Tale"
• Click on Story #124 (30 May 2010) for "Fixing the Future"
• Click on Story #124R (13 June 2010) for a Revision of "Fixing the Future"
• Click on Story #125 (20 July 2010) for "The Wilkinses Remembered"
• Click on Story #122R (30 November 2010) for a Revision of "Hogwarts, Year One, 1970"
• Click on Story #116R (11 December 2010) for a Revision of "Neville and the Mandrakes: Mission Possible"
• Click on Story #113R (26 December 2010) for a Revision of "A Family Gathering"
• Click on Story #114R (9 April 2011) for a Continuation of "Dear Sisters" ... "Dear Sisters Continued"
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
Five Words Stories - Volume XII
NOTE: R attached to a story # refers to it being a Revision Story
• Click on Story #120 (6 Feb 2010) for "Posting for Porlocks"
• Click on Story #121 (26 Feb 2010) for "The Wandering Wizard"
• Click on Story #122 (1 April 2010) for "Hogwarts, Year One, 1970"
• Click on Story #123 (24 April 2010) for "The Wagga Wagga Werewolf: A Fantastical Tale"
• Click on Story #124 (30 May 2010) for "Fixing the Future"
• Click on Story #124R (13 June 2010) for a Revision of "Fixing the Future"
• Click on Story #125 (20 July 2010) for "The Wilkinses Remembered"
• Click on Story #122R (30 November 2010) for a Revision of "Hogwarts, Year One, 1970"
• Click on Story #116R (11 December 2010) for a Revision of "Neville and the Mandrakes: Mission Possible"
• Click on Story #113R (26 December 2010) for a Revision of "A Family Gathering"
• Click on Story #114R (9 April 2011) for a Continuation of "Dear Sisters" ... "Dear Sisters Continued"
When the Harry Potter Lexicon Forum was hosted on World Crossing, the Five Words game used to be played on the separate FanFiction Forum site. When Kip Carter agreed to move Five Words to the Main Forum, where a new volume, Volume XIII was created, there were still more than 800 posts left in Volume XII. So some Five Worders decided to use the remaining posts in Volume XII to revise past stories. The following stories in Volume XII were revised later on in this thread: #122 and #124. Links to these revised stories can be found at the end of their original versions.
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
| * Five Words - Main Archives * |
| * Five Words - Stories Index (by topic) * |
Last edited by Potteraholic on Tue Aug 16, 2011 7:20 pm; edited 2 times in total
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Archive of Five Words Stories - Volume XII, Story #120
Potteraholic Thu Aug 11, 2011 10:22 pm
This story was first posted by Potteraholic - Feb 6, 2010 2:58 am (#240 of 2839) on the World Crossing home of the 'Harry Potter Lexicon Forum'.
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9th January 2010
Dear Luna,
I was very saddened to see even more snow forecast for tomorrow. What weather! I was so eagerly anticipating our going to look for a Porlock. But there's too much snow to be able to see much in Dorset, and Eire has much more on the way, according to those Muggles that divine weather.
Have you given any thought to my previous suggestion? We could always try and do as my Gran suggested. I can ask Parvati to meet us at the end of next week, when the snow has begun to melt and we'll be able to have an easier time tracking Porlocks. Let me know if you'll be able to postpone your search. If bad weather still persists, we'll have to make other arrangements.
Best wishes,
Padma
Dear Padma,
I hope your owl returned to you safely. I thought he might get lost in that freezing blizzard.
I think you're right. We'd better put off our trip as Porlocks like snow less than humans do. Please thank your Gran for her suggestion. Grandmothers are so sensible about these things.
I hate to lose time, though. My research is important, and these delays could affect my presentation for the new nature magazine being published by Rolf Scamander. His grandfather, Newt, authored several books on natural history, including 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them', but my favorite was 'The Crumple-Horned Snorkcack: Myth or Reality'. Rolf likes it, too.
In fact, Rolf and I are going to Sweden in the summer to collect more specimens and observe the Snorkacks in the middle of molting season. He believes, as I do, that they must be protected from souvenir hunters who covet their beautifully curved horns. My dear father would be so heartbroken, were he still alive, to learn that the Snorkacks are becoming endangered. Rolf's assembling a group of volunteers to count the number of mating pairs. The young will be born in October.
More later. I need to feed my owls, Zephyr and Mistral.
Fåravel,
Luna
12th January
Luna,
Fåravel... that's Swedish for goodbye, is it? I was quite impressed to see it!
Interesting, about the Snorkacks, but I'm wondering why Porlocks distrust humans? I can't think of anyone better than you to figure this out for the Society of Equestrian Witches and Wizards. That reminds me... did you know that Porlocks can be tempted out of their hiding places simply by leaving hay sprinkled with single malt whisky nearby? It made me think that it would be something we could try next week when we go out to Dorset. Hagrid's the one with the vast knowledge of Porlocks. Whisky-soaked hay? His idea. Hagrid is so knowledgeable about magical creatures!
Anyway, the Equestrian Witches and Wizards want to use Porlocks to guard their horses, and they asked me to do some research to discover ways to earn their trust. Something seems to have destroyed it. Then again, many creatures have learned to distrust humans — and for good reason. On the other hand, maybe Porlocks never trusted humans anyway? I'll leave it to you to decide.
Looking forward to meeting up with you as the weather begins to clear.
Ciao!
Padma
13th January
Padma,
Perhaps we could meet up this Saturday, the 16th? The Muggle forecasters are predicting a clear day. We might as well try our luck in Dorset. We should be able to locate a few herds of New Forest ponies, which means there will be Porlocks nearby.
I'll ask Rolf if he'd like to join us. He's got a knack for landscape tracking: reading the landscape to locate animals. Really amazing! He'll be happy to explain it to you when we meet up with him. I think it's a Muggle technique he learned from his aunt's husband.
Anyway, with his expertise, we should be able to find some. And the whiskey-soaked hay! Are you sure Hagrid said that that would work? Yes, it should tempt a few, I guess. Who would ever think that Porlocks would have such dipsomaniac tendencies?
By the way, I'm embarrassed to admit that 'fåravel' doesn't mean 'goodbye', as I thought. It means 'sheep farming' or 'sheep breeding'. I should have written 'farväl' instead, which is a more old-fashioned, solemn way to say 'goodbye'. 'Hejdå' seemed too humdrum, if you know what I mean. Looking for Porlocks is exciting! We need to mark the occasion with evocative language and fanfare. I think we should burn a ginger-scented candle and drink some tea made with echinacea blossoms right before the hunt. That should ward off the wrackspurts.
Please let me know if you need to pick another date for our great Porlock hunt.
Until then,
Luna
P.S. Don't forget to bring a few bottles of whisky. See you soon?
22nd January
Luna,
Hope you are well and have recovered from our little adventure! Who would have guessed that Porlocks would be so ticklish? I've never seen any creature, magical or otherwise, so docile and playful. I wasn't sure what to expect with Porlocks as there was so little known and recorded about them. I've got so much information for the Society now, thanks to our observations. Just to clarify what we discussed, we can exchange notes, I thought.
First, we discovered that Hagrid was right about the whiskey-soaked hay. It makes me giggle that they actually hate it and came out of their hiding places just to remove it! I'll make sure to tell Hagrid the next time I see him. He's sure to be surprised.
Second, we found that Porlocks are incredibly ticklish, especially on the top of the neck and the stomach, rather than the knees like you thought. Luckily, we saw that pony's tail flicking a Porlock's neck completely by accident. It started laughing immediately, right?
And when Rolf managed to get close enough to it, he could see that tuft of curly hair right at the nape of their necks. There's no record of that anywhere. But they're really proud of it judging by the way they groomed themselves. Perhaps this can give us a way in to the Porlocks' good graces?
I liked the way Rolf was able to find them so easily by listening for the sound of their fingers scraping the bark off the Chestnut trees.
Now, that's all I remember. What about you?
Padma
26th January
Padma,
We certainly did learn plenty about Porlocks. So much that now I've got enough for a four-page spread in Rolf's magazine. He's calling it 'Faunæ'. I'll be sure to send it to you as soon as it's published. And our notes match completely!
Rolf is so pleased with how our little expedition went. He's already planning our next one.
I think your idea regarding flattery of the Porlocks' tuft is such a... transcendent one! I'm sure we can get one or two Porlocks to help out the Society. Then our search will have been sublimely successful!
I look forward to seeing you at Hermione's promotion party.
Your friend,
Luna
* Five Words – Volume 12 Index *
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
image c/o
www.polyvore.com
Potty Five Words: “Posting for Porlocks"
9th January 2010
Dear Luna,
I was very saddened to see even more snow forecast for tomorrow. What weather! I was so eagerly anticipating our going to look for a Porlock. But there's too much snow to be able to see much in Dorset, and Eire has much more on the way, according to those Muggles that divine weather.
Have you given any thought to my previous suggestion? We could always try and do as my Gran suggested. I can ask Parvati to meet us at the end of next week, when the snow has begun to melt and we'll be able to have an easier time tracking Porlocks. Let me know if you'll be able to postpone your search. If bad weather still persists, we'll have to make other arrangements.
Best wishes,
Padma
Dear Padma,
I hope your owl returned to you safely. I thought he might get lost in that freezing blizzard.
I think you're right. We'd better put off our trip as Porlocks like snow less than humans do. Please thank your Gran for her suggestion. Grandmothers are so sensible about these things.
I hate to lose time, though. My research is important, and these delays could affect my presentation for the new nature magazine being published by Rolf Scamander. His grandfather, Newt, authored several books on natural history, including 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them', but my favorite was 'The Crumple-Horned Snorkcack: Myth or Reality'. Rolf likes it, too.
In fact, Rolf and I are going to Sweden in the summer to collect more specimens and observe the Snorkacks in the middle of molting season. He believes, as I do, that they must be protected from souvenir hunters who covet their beautifully curved horns. My dear father would be so heartbroken, were he still alive, to learn that the Snorkacks are becoming endangered. Rolf's assembling a group of volunteers to count the number of mating pairs. The young will be born in October.
More later. I need to feed my owls, Zephyr and Mistral.
Fåravel,
Luna
12th January
Luna,
Fåravel... that's Swedish for goodbye, is it? I was quite impressed to see it!
Interesting, about the Snorkacks, but I'm wondering why Porlocks distrust humans? I can't think of anyone better than you to figure this out for the Society of Equestrian Witches and Wizards. That reminds me... did you know that Porlocks can be tempted out of their hiding places simply by leaving hay sprinkled with single malt whisky nearby? It made me think that it would be something we could try next week when we go out to Dorset. Hagrid's the one with the vast knowledge of Porlocks. Whisky-soaked hay? His idea. Hagrid is so knowledgeable about magical creatures!
Anyway, the Equestrian Witches and Wizards want to use Porlocks to guard their horses, and they asked me to do some research to discover ways to earn their trust. Something seems to have destroyed it. Then again, many creatures have learned to distrust humans — and for good reason. On the other hand, maybe Porlocks never trusted humans anyway? I'll leave it to you to decide.
Looking forward to meeting up with you as the weather begins to clear.
Ciao!
Padma
13th January
Padma,
Perhaps we could meet up this Saturday, the 16th? The Muggle forecasters are predicting a clear day. We might as well try our luck in Dorset. We should be able to locate a few herds of New Forest ponies, which means there will be Porlocks nearby.
I'll ask Rolf if he'd like to join us. He's got a knack for landscape tracking: reading the landscape to locate animals. Really amazing! He'll be happy to explain it to you when we meet up with him. I think it's a Muggle technique he learned from his aunt's husband.
Anyway, with his expertise, we should be able to find some. And the whiskey-soaked hay! Are you sure Hagrid said that that would work? Yes, it should tempt a few, I guess. Who would ever think that Porlocks would have such dipsomaniac tendencies?
By the way, I'm embarrassed to admit that 'fåravel' doesn't mean 'goodbye', as I thought. It means 'sheep farming' or 'sheep breeding'. I should have written 'farväl' instead, which is a more old-fashioned, solemn way to say 'goodbye'. 'Hejdå' seemed too humdrum, if you know what I mean. Looking for Porlocks is exciting! We need to mark the occasion with evocative language and fanfare. I think we should burn a ginger-scented candle and drink some tea made with echinacea blossoms right before the hunt. That should ward off the wrackspurts.
Please let me know if you need to pick another date for our great Porlock hunt.
Until then,
Luna
P.S. Don't forget to bring a few bottles of whisky. See you soon?
22nd January
Luna,
Hope you are well and have recovered from our little adventure! Who would have guessed that Porlocks would be so ticklish? I've never seen any creature, magical or otherwise, so docile and playful. I wasn't sure what to expect with Porlocks as there was so little known and recorded about them. I've got so much information for the Society now, thanks to our observations. Just to clarify what we discussed, we can exchange notes, I thought.
First, we discovered that Hagrid was right about the whiskey-soaked hay. It makes me giggle that they actually hate it and came out of their hiding places just to remove it! I'll make sure to tell Hagrid the next time I see him. He's sure to be surprised.
Second, we found that Porlocks are incredibly ticklish, especially on the top of the neck and the stomach, rather than the knees like you thought. Luckily, we saw that pony's tail flicking a Porlock's neck completely by accident. It started laughing immediately, right?
And when Rolf managed to get close enough to it, he could see that tuft of curly hair right at the nape of their necks. There's no record of that anywhere. But they're really proud of it judging by the way they groomed themselves. Perhaps this can give us a way in to the Porlocks' good graces?
I liked the way Rolf was able to find them so easily by listening for the sound of their fingers scraping the bark off the Chestnut trees.
Now, that's all I remember. What about you?
Padma
26th January
Padma,
We certainly did learn plenty about Porlocks. So much that now I've got enough for a four-page spread in Rolf's magazine. He's calling it 'Faunæ'. I'll be sure to send it to you as soon as it's published. And our notes match completely!
Rolf is so pleased with how our little expedition went. He's already planning our next one.
I think your idea regarding flattery of the Porlocks' tuft is such a... transcendent one! I'm sure we can get one or two Porlocks to help out the Society. Then our search will have been sublimely successful!
I look forward to seeing you at Hermione's promotion party.
Your friend,
Luna
* Five Words – Volume 12 Index *
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
| * Five Words - Main Archives * |
| * Five Words - Stories Index (by topic) * |
Last edited by Potteraholic on Fri Aug 12, 2011 9:43 pm; edited 1 time in total
Potteraholic- Ravenclaw Prefect
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Archive of Five Words Stories - Volume XII, Story #120 stats
Potteraholic Thu Aug 11, 2011 10:24 pm
These stats were first posted by Potteraholic - Feb 6, 2010 3:12 am (#241 of 2839) on the World Crossing home of the 'Harry Potter Lexicon Forum'.
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Statistics for Story 120
ordered by first contribution to the story
The user in red is the rightful starter of the next story. They are welcome to pass on the privilege to the user who posted the second most number of times, who may in turn pass it to the user who posted the third number of times in the story, and so forth.
Total Submissions: 235
Total Words: 1175
Last Submission Date: #236, Feb 3, 2010 5:58 am (Verity Weasley)
Total Time to Create Story: 24 days, 22 hours, and 47 minutes
* Five Words – Volume 12 Index *
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
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Statistics for Story 120
ordered by first contribution to the story
| User | # of Submissions |
| Potteraholic | 90 |
| legolas returns | 34 |
| mona amon | 25 |
| Puck | 3 |
| Verity Weasley | 50 |
| Solitaire | 30 |
| Dryleaves | 03 |
The user in red is the rightful starter of the next story. They are welcome to pass on the privilege to the user who posted the second most number of times, who may in turn pass it to the user who posted the third number of times in the story, and so forth.
Total Submissions: 235
Total Words: 1175
Last Submission Date: #236, Feb 3, 2010 5:58 am (Verity Weasley)
Total Time to Create Story: 24 days, 22 hours, and 47 minutes
* Five Words – Volume 12 Index *
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
| * Five Words - Main Archives * |
| * Five Words - Stories Index (by topic) * |
Last edited by Potteraholic on Thu Aug 11, 2011 10:45 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Archive of Five Words Stories - Volume XII, Story #120 post-story comments
Potteraholic Thu Aug 11, 2011 10:25 pm
These post-story comments were first posted by Potteraholic - Nov Nov 24, 2010 7:10 am (#2953 of 2960) [Edited Dec 2, 2010 7 am] on the World Crossing home of the 'Harry Potter Lexicon Forum'.
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Post-Story Comments for Story #120, Volume XII,
Potty Five Words: "Posting for Porlocks"
This story was written from January 9, 2010 to February 3, 2010. Seven writers contributed to the story, which is 1,175 words long. Four of the seven writers posted feedback.
- Potteraholic, Feb 6, 2010 3:28 am: Okay, "Posting for Porlocks", the 120th story on the 12th Volume of Five Words stories, is up! Though it stalled near the end, I think this set of 6 letters worked out quite nicely... we covered a range of subjects: the inclusion of the real-world, real-time winter snowfalls that blanketed the British Isles in January 2010, Luna's acquaintance with Rolf Scamander, the mention of Xeno's death and his fascination with the Crumple-Horned Snorkacks, Luna's plans to go to Sweden to study them some more, and all the Porlocks stuff with Padma. Not a bad effort, I'd say.
(In a later post, #244) I forgot to mention in my previous post that in addition to all the other information we managed to pack into those letters, there was also an explanation of the finer points of Swedish vocabulary!
(In still another post, #249) When we wrote the letters between Lily and Petunia, it seemed to go much better. Maybe because more was known about the characters? We can try letters again, perhaps, one more time, and see how it goes then?
- Verity Weasley, Feb 6, 2010 4:34 am: As for the last story, yes it did feel a bit laboured there towards the end when we were writing it, but I don't think it shows in the finished version. It reads quite well, a succinct series of informative letters that just hint at events happening 'off-stage' as it were, and leave you wondering.
(In a later post, #245) That's right, PAH. And anyone who didn't actually participate in the writing of that story will never understand how funny that exchange was and how it came about!
- Solitaire, Feb 6, 2010 11:58 am: I thought the letter exchange turned out to be really cute, Potteraholic. It was fun to read and see how it eventually wound up. I had a more difficult time working with the letter format, for some reason. It seemed harder for me to follow the train of thought, and I had to keep gong back and reading the entire exchange each time I posted ... which is why I eventually dropped out. It was just too much with everything that has been happening around here.
- mona amon, Feb 7, 2010 11:19 am: I thought the last story turned out really well. Who'd have expected it? The fåravel/farväl mistake was a wonderful touch, though I guess it's an inside joke! Good thing Dryleaves was there to point it out. A very appropriate thing to happen when writing a Luna story.
* Five Words – Volume 12 Index *
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
image c/o
www.polyvore.com
Post-Story Comments for Story #120, Volume XII,
Potty Five Words: "Posting for Porlocks"
This story was written from January 9, 2010 to February 3, 2010. Seven writers contributed to the story, which is 1,175 words long. Four of the seven writers posted feedback.
- Potteraholic, Feb 6, 2010 3:28 am: Okay, "Posting for Porlocks", the 120th story on the 12th Volume of Five Words stories, is up! Though it stalled near the end, I think this set of 6 letters worked out quite nicely... we covered a range of subjects: the inclusion of the real-world, real-time winter snowfalls that blanketed the British Isles in January 2010, Luna's acquaintance with Rolf Scamander, the mention of Xeno's death and his fascination with the Crumple-Horned Snorkacks, Luna's plans to go to Sweden to study them some more, and all the Porlocks stuff with Padma. Not a bad effort, I'd say.
(In a later post, #244) I forgot to mention in my previous post that in addition to all the other information we managed to pack into those letters, there was also an explanation of the finer points of Swedish vocabulary!
(In still another post, #249) When we wrote the letters between Lily and Petunia, it seemed to go much better. Maybe because more was known about the characters? We can try letters again, perhaps, one more time, and see how it goes then?
- Verity Weasley, Feb 6, 2010 4:34 am: As for the last story, yes it did feel a bit laboured there towards the end when we were writing it, but I don't think it shows in the finished version. It reads quite well, a succinct series of informative letters that just hint at events happening 'off-stage' as it were, and leave you wondering.
(In a later post, #245) That's right, PAH. And anyone who didn't actually participate in the writing of that story will never understand how funny that exchange was and how it came about!
- Solitaire, Feb 6, 2010 11:58 am: I thought the letter exchange turned out to be really cute, Potteraholic. It was fun to read and see how it eventually wound up. I had a more difficult time working with the letter format, for some reason. It seemed harder for me to follow the train of thought, and I had to keep gong back and reading the entire exchange each time I posted ... which is why I eventually dropped out. It was just too much with everything that has been happening around here.
- mona amon, Feb 7, 2010 11:19 am: I thought the last story turned out really well. Who'd have expected it? The fåravel/farväl mistake was a wonderful touch, though I guess it's an inside joke! Good thing Dryleaves was there to point it out. A very appropriate thing to happen when writing a Luna story.
* Five Words – Volume 12 Index *
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
| * Five Words - Main Archives * |
| * Five Words - Stories Index (by topic) * |
Last edited by Potteraholic on Mon Aug 15, 2011 8:49 am; edited 1 time in total
Potteraholic- Ravenclaw Prefect
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Join date : 2011-02-18
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Archive of Five Words Stories - Volume XII, Story #121
Potteraholic Thu Aug 11, 2011 10:41 pm
This story was first posted by Potteraholic - Feb 24, 2010 9:08 pm (#645 of 2839) on the World Crossing home of the 'Harry Potter Lexicon Forum'.
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Sirius Black dropped the bone he had been gnawing and looked anxiously towards the sky. He had been completely preoccupied by his meal, as it had been his first in several days. He thought he had caught a white blur out of the corner of his eye. He was anxious to hear again from his godson and worried about his participation in the upcoming first task of the Triwizard Tournament. The article in the Daily Prophet, naming Harry as the fourth champion, was far too sentimental. It also unnerved Sirius. He couldn't believe that the Goblet had been easily fooled.
A set of approaching footsteps startled him, and he was caught off-guard. He spun around, crouched down, and growled. There, looking tired and haggard, stood Remus Lupin. He held out his hand in greeting and Sirius grasped it warmly.
"You! I wasn't sure whom to expect as I thought that I might've been spotted by a nosy villager when I went scavenging for food just now. How did you find me?"
Remus looked at Sirius's gaunt face with concern. "Dumbledore gave me an idea when I saw him last week in London. He had come over to meet the other members of the Wizengamot."
"So he's reading the signs that others are choosing to ignore and pretend aren't happening. Tell me, have you seen Harry since he found out he will be participating in the Triwizard Tournament?" Sirius croaked, his voice raspy.
"He owled Arthur, and I happened to be at the Burrow then. I tried to find out who Dumbledore thought was responsible, but if he suspects anyone, he's keeping it to himself," Remus admitted. He glanced around, towards the Forbidden Forest, and shivered. He couldn't shake the feeling that Harry was going to be facing mortal danger.
"Why couldn't Dumbledore stop Harry from participating? Surely he has figured out how to best protect him from Voldemort by now," Sirius muttered.
Remus looked at him in surprise. "Surely you know that Dumbledore's doing everything in his power. He got Mad-Eye out of retirement, didn't he?"
Sirius didn't look totally mollified when Remus mentioned Mad-Eye's name. "He's a little jumpy these days."
"And he's not the only one Dumbledore's talked to," Remus continued. "He's been in touch with most of the old gang. The upset at the Quidditch World Cup, with the Dark Mark's appearance, caused many rumors, and Dumbledore feels that extreme caution is warranted.”
Sirius grimaced. "I wish I could've been there to watch it."
"Watch it? I thought you'd have gone after the Death Eaters who tortured those poor Muggles."
"Yes, that would've served them right... a nice bite on a bigot's backside would've been just desserts." Sirius smiled, “At least I'd feel more involved."
"So where were you?"
"I was in a remote area on the coast, north of here. I'd been planning to return ever since I got an owl from Harry. I passed on what he told me to Dumbledore, but I also wanted to be close by... just in case."
"You must try to be careful as Wormtail's bound to be planning his revenge," cautioned Remus.
"Wormtail? Pooh! If that lying—"
"Hang on," Remus interrupted. "You should be lying low. Weren't you somewhere tropical? How did you get here? Anyplace warm is a long way from Harry, and I know how determined you are to be near him."
"It wasn't easy, mate." Sirius frowned as he recalled his difficult journey back. "I had to leave my comfortable tropical refuge — Brazil's such a beautiful place — in a Muggle aeroplane, since I didn't have a wand and I hadn't a passport, either."
"A passport? Is that like a Portkey?" Remus asked with a smile.
"Well I suppose, sort of. I had to persuade a young boy to let me borrow his toy car that you could operate by remote control. Without a wand, you could make it do maneuvers of every description." Seeing Remus' astonished expression made Sirius chuckle. "Those Muggles really are inventive. Arthur would've just loved it! Anyway, the device sends out signals, which I harnessed to my advantage. I managed to cause a big enough diversion to enable me to slip onto the plane completely unnoticed. Those contraptions are so useful and could be used as a prank." His eyes twinkled mischievously and a momentary grin flickered across haggard face and disappeared almost immediately.
"So how was the plane ride? I don't know how Muggles can get those metal boxes to fly. Anyway," Remus continued, "where did you go next?"
"Well first of all, I went to New York, as I got on the wrong plane. It's so confusing, Muggle travel. I thought that the Floo Network was bad enough, but traveling by aeroplane is really terrifying. I never want to repeat the experience. I remembered an old friend once told me that he'd flown across the Atlantic on a broomstick and he went straight to St. Mungo's because his injuries were so… um... delicate and tender, if you get my meaning." Sirius broke into a broad grin.
"What happened in New York?"
"I found that it was much more difficult to go anywhere. They were so strict about security. However, I somehow managed to Confund the officials and get into the plane going to London. It just took a bit of wandless magic and a good deal of luck, and I was back in good old Blighty. I was thankful to be back on home soil. My problems didn't end there, as I ran into a Muggle official who asked me for identification. I had to take advantage of a momentary distraction in the form of an exploding light bulb to slip out of sight and transform into Padfoot."
"I bet you were glad to be rid of the place," Remus remarked, "though I have a feeling you might've enjoyed outwitting all those Muggle officials."
"True, but I needed to get up north where I'd left Buckbeak before heading to Brazil. He was very glad to stop flying about, as he'd fallen ill just before I was set to leave. I had to contact Dumbledore, and let him know where I was going to leave Buckbeak. The rest did him a lot of good." Sirius waved his hand towards the clump of trees where Buckbeak was eating some small animals. "An old wizard named Worple, who sold Hagrid the Hippogriffs, took care of him, up in the remote far north. But before I left London, I went to Grimmauld Place. The last time I stepped in that awful place, I was on the run from the Ministry of Magic and trying to get to Hogwarts but Peter caught up with me."
"I know. I still can't believe that he'd kill all those Muggles," Remus agreed. "I wonder what he's up to? If Voldemort's really on his return to power."
Sirius looked thoughtful. "I don't know for sure, but I hope Dumbledore has some idea. I'll tell you this though, the Daily Prophet is reporting such drivel that you'd have thought that Rita Skeeter was downing pints of Ogden's every time she wrote with her blasted quill!"
Remus shook his head. "That woman! I can't abide her!" Behind them, Buckbeak snorted loudly, as if agreeing to every word they'd said. After all, Rita had written some terrible things about him too. "So," Remus continued, "what made you turn up at Grimmauld Place? And how's Kreacher?"
Sirius held up an elf's pillowcase. "Useless git! I asked him to find me some spare robes or an old wand, and he gives me this nasty thing instead. He always finds a way to be difficult and unhelpful. Staying there was the most unpleasant experience... almost as bad as Azkaban!"
Remus suppressed a grin and said, "At least you're not prone to howling at the moon once a month!"
Sirius chuckled, then frowned, saying, "I had a narrow escape from there."
"Why... what happened?"
"As I was leaving, I ran into a couple of Dementors! The Ministry had somehow forgotten to inform them that I wasn't supposed to be given the kiss."
"Well, actually, the only order the Ministry gave was to withdraw the Dementors from Hogwarts. Nothing more."
"Oh well, you can't have everything, I suppose," Sirius muttered. "At least I had a chance to talk to Harry properly during our brief time together before I had to go into hiding."
“What are you going to do now?" Remus asked.
"Well, I'm definitely not going back to Azkaban," Sirius retorted. "Which is why I pulled out all the stops to escape those Dementors. It wasn't easy, I can tell you, especially without a wand. There were Muggles around on the street, so I headed straight for them, walking as fast as I could. They were laughing about something, and I thought they'd be safe from the Dementors because they were happy."
"Laughter's best for Boggarts but you wouldn't feel—"
"Not now, Professor," Sirius laughed.
Remus looked a little ashamed, and smiled sheepishly. "Go on."
"The Dementors went towards one of the Muggles. I pushed open a shop door and shoved him in, as well as his friend, and quickly closed the door. Alone. Wandless. At risk of getting my soul sucked out of me right there and then, I transformed into my shaggy self. Just then, two Ministry people Apparated right next to the Dementors — a young woman, who looked vaguely familiar — and the Auror, Dawlish. They headed towards me, running, wands out. They both cast patronuses, repelling them immediately."
"Dawlish, and who else?" Remus asked curiously. "Can you describe the woman?"
Sirius frowned reminiscently. "She had pink hair," he said. "Pretty, with a heart-shaped face. Anyway, I reckoned that revealing my true form was probably not advisable, with Aurors and Muggles around. I wasn't sure if they were in the area because of me, or for some reason of their own, and I wasn't keen to find myself back in Azkaban. I'm sure I heard them mention that I'd been sighted in London. Some Death Eaters' names were also mentioned, so maybe they arranged the attack?"
Remus looked thoughtful. "I could ask Kingsley Shacklebolt. He'd know. Meanwhile, that was pulling out all the stops, was it?" Remus asked in a slightly sarcastic voice.
"Have you ever tried to escape a Dementor without a wand, Moony?”
"Point taken. It isn't something I'd like to face." Remus shuddered. "What stopped you succumbing to their power?"
"The Aurors, mate!"
"Right. So, what did they do about the Muggles?" said Remus.
"Those two blokes charged out gesticulating wildly and pointing at me, but I sloped away as nonchalantly as I could. I didn't wait around to watch the Muggles get Obliviated. I'm not sure what they would've said. After all, I saved them, didn't I?"
Remus didn't look convinced. "Muggles wouldn't know that they'd just been saved from a fate worse than death. Er... that pink-haired Auror should be known to you. She's closely related. In actual fact, she's your favorite cousin's daughter."
"That's Nymphadora?" Sirius said in surprise. "I haven't seen her—"
"Since Voldemort murdered James and Lily and tried to kill Harry." They both fell silent as they remembered their absent friends.
"So... little Dora's an Auror now? That's good! At least she turned out to have some sense!"
"She's a lovely girl," said Remus. "From what I hear, she's quite a good Auror. I guess it helps being a Metamorphmagus. So, would you like to see her again?"
Sirius nodded. "Absolutely! She saved my life and I'm really fond of anyone who does that. Could you arrange it?"
"Consider it done," Remus replied with a smile.
"It would be best if she visited here as I'm not planning to go too far astray, with so many visitors coming to watch the tournament. I just want to be near Harry, in case he needs any support or encouragement."
"What an excellent godfather you've turned out to be!" Remus said, smiling. "Lily and James made the right choice!"
* Five Words – Volume 12 Index *
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
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c/o harrypotter.wikia.com
Potty Five Words: "The Wandering Wizard"
Sirius Black dropped the bone he had been gnawing and looked anxiously towards the sky. He had been completely preoccupied by his meal, as it had been his first in several days. He thought he had caught a white blur out of the corner of his eye. He was anxious to hear again from his godson and worried about his participation in the upcoming first task of the Triwizard Tournament. The article in the Daily Prophet, naming Harry as the fourth champion, was far too sentimental. It also unnerved Sirius. He couldn't believe that the Goblet had been easily fooled.
A set of approaching footsteps startled him, and he was caught off-guard. He spun around, crouched down, and growled. There, looking tired and haggard, stood Remus Lupin. He held out his hand in greeting and Sirius grasped it warmly.
"You! I wasn't sure whom to expect as I thought that I might've been spotted by a nosy villager when I went scavenging for food just now. How did you find me?"
Remus looked at Sirius's gaunt face with concern. "Dumbledore gave me an idea when I saw him last week in London. He had come over to meet the other members of the Wizengamot."
"So he's reading the signs that others are choosing to ignore and pretend aren't happening. Tell me, have you seen Harry since he found out he will be participating in the Triwizard Tournament?" Sirius croaked, his voice raspy.
"He owled Arthur, and I happened to be at the Burrow then. I tried to find out who Dumbledore thought was responsible, but if he suspects anyone, he's keeping it to himself," Remus admitted. He glanced around, towards the Forbidden Forest, and shivered. He couldn't shake the feeling that Harry was going to be facing mortal danger.
"Why couldn't Dumbledore stop Harry from participating? Surely he has figured out how to best protect him from Voldemort by now," Sirius muttered.
Remus looked at him in surprise. "Surely you know that Dumbledore's doing everything in his power. He got Mad-Eye out of retirement, didn't he?"
Sirius didn't look totally mollified when Remus mentioned Mad-Eye's name. "He's a little jumpy these days."
"And he's not the only one Dumbledore's talked to," Remus continued. "He's been in touch with most of the old gang. The upset at the Quidditch World Cup, with the Dark Mark's appearance, caused many rumors, and Dumbledore feels that extreme caution is warranted.”
Sirius grimaced. "I wish I could've been there to watch it."
"Watch it? I thought you'd have gone after the Death Eaters who tortured those poor Muggles."
"Yes, that would've served them right... a nice bite on a bigot's backside would've been just desserts." Sirius smiled, “At least I'd feel more involved."
"So where were you?"
"I was in a remote area on the coast, north of here. I'd been planning to return ever since I got an owl from Harry. I passed on what he told me to Dumbledore, but I also wanted to be close by... just in case."
"You must try to be careful as Wormtail's bound to be planning his revenge," cautioned Remus.
"Wormtail? Pooh! If that lying—"
"Hang on," Remus interrupted. "You should be lying low. Weren't you somewhere tropical? How did you get here? Anyplace warm is a long way from Harry, and I know how determined you are to be near him."
"It wasn't easy, mate." Sirius frowned as he recalled his difficult journey back. "I had to leave my comfortable tropical refuge — Brazil's such a beautiful place — in a Muggle aeroplane, since I didn't have a wand and I hadn't a passport, either."
"A passport? Is that like a Portkey?" Remus asked with a smile.
"Well I suppose, sort of. I had to persuade a young boy to let me borrow his toy car that you could operate by remote control. Without a wand, you could make it do maneuvers of every description." Seeing Remus' astonished expression made Sirius chuckle. "Those Muggles really are inventive. Arthur would've just loved it! Anyway, the device sends out signals, which I harnessed to my advantage. I managed to cause a big enough diversion to enable me to slip onto the plane completely unnoticed. Those contraptions are so useful and could be used as a prank." His eyes twinkled mischievously and a momentary grin flickered across haggard face and disappeared almost immediately.
"So how was the plane ride? I don't know how Muggles can get those metal boxes to fly. Anyway," Remus continued, "where did you go next?"
"Well first of all, I went to New York, as I got on the wrong plane. It's so confusing, Muggle travel. I thought that the Floo Network was bad enough, but traveling by aeroplane is really terrifying. I never want to repeat the experience. I remembered an old friend once told me that he'd flown across the Atlantic on a broomstick and he went straight to St. Mungo's because his injuries were so… um... delicate and tender, if you get my meaning." Sirius broke into a broad grin.
"What happened in New York?"
"I found that it was much more difficult to go anywhere. They were so strict about security. However, I somehow managed to Confund the officials and get into the plane going to London. It just took a bit of wandless magic and a good deal of luck, and I was back in good old Blighty. I was thankful to be back on home soil. My problems didn't end there, as I ran into a Muggle official who asked me for identification. I had to take advantage of a momentary distraction in the form of an exploding light bulb to slip out of sight and transform into Padfoot."
"I bet you were glad to be rid of the place," Remus remarked, "though I have a feeling you might've enjoyed outwitting all those Muggle officials."
"True, but I needed to get up north where I'd left Buckbeak before heading to Brazil. He was very glad to stop flying about, as he'd fallen ill just before I was set to leave. I had to contact Dumbledore, and let him know where I was going to leave Buckbeak. The rest did him a lot of good." Sirius waved his hand towards the clump of trees where Buckbeak was eating some small animals. "An old wizard named Worple, who sold Hagrid the Hippogriffs, took care of him, up in the remote far north. But before I left London, I went to Grimmauld Place. The last time I stepped in that awful place, I was on the run from the Ministry of Magic and trying to get to Hogwarts but Peter caught up with me."
"I know. I still can't believe that he'd kill all those Muggles," Remus agreed. "I wonder what he's up to? If Voldemort's really on his return to power."
Sirius looked thoughtful. "I don't know for sure, but I hope Dumbledore has some idea. I'll tell you this though, the Daily Prophet is reporting such drivel that you'd have thought that Rita Skeeter was downing pints of Ogden's every time she wrote with her blasted quill!"
Remus shook his head. "That woman! I can't abide her!" Behind them, Buckbeak snorted loudly, as if agreeing to every word they'd said. After all, Rita had written some terrible things about him too. "So," Remus continued, "what made you turn up at Grimmauld Place? And how's Kreacher?"
Sirius held up an elf's pillowcase. "Useless git! I asked him to find me some spare robes or an old wand, and he gives me this nasty thing instead. He always finds a way to be difficult and unhelpful. Staying there was the most unpleasant experience... almost as bad as Azkaban!"
Remus suppressed a grin and said, "At least you're not prone to howling at the moon once a month!"
Sirius chuckled, then frowned, saying, "I had a narrow escape from there."
"Why... what happened?"
"As I was leaving, I ran into a couple of Dementors! The Ministry had somehow forgotten to inform them that I wasn't supposed to be given the kiss."
"Well, actually, the only order the Ministry gave was to withdraw the Dementors from Hogwarts. Nothing more."
"Oh well, you can't have everything, I suppose," Sirius muttered. "At least I had a chance to talk to Harry properly during our brief time together before I had to go into hiding."
“What are you going to do now?" Remus asked.
"Well, I'm definitely not going back to Azkaban," Sirius retorted. "Which is why I pulled out all the stops to escape those Dementors. It wasn't easy, I can tell you, especially without a wand. There were Muggles around on the street, so I headed straight for them, walking as fast as I could. They were laughing about something, and I thought they'd be safe from the Dementors because they were happy."
"Laughter's best for Boggarts but you wouldn't feel—"
"Not now, Professor," Sirius laughed.
Remus looked a little ashamed, and smiled sheepishly. "Go on."
"The Dementors went towards one of the Muggles. I pushed open a shop door and shoved him in, as well as his friend, and quickly closed the door. Alone. Wandless. At risk of getting my soul sucked out of me right there and then, I transformed into my shaggy self. Just then, two Ministry people Apparated right next to the Dementors — a young woman, who looked vaguely familiar — and the Auror, Dawlish. They headed towards me, running, wands out. They both cast patronuses, repelling them immediately."
"Dawlish, and who else?" Remus asked curiously. "Can you describe the woman?"
Sirius frowned reminiscently. "She had pink hair," he said. "Pretty, with a heart-shaped face. Anyway, I reckoned that revealing my true form was probably not advisable, with Aurors and Muggles around. I wasn't sure if they were in the area because of me, or for some reason of their own, and I wasn't keen to find myself back in Azkaban. I'm sure I heard them mention that I'd been sighted in London. Some Death Eaters' names were also mentioned, so maybe they arranged the attack?"
Remus looked thoughtful. "I could ask Kingsley Shacklebolt. He'd know. Meanwhile, that was pulling out all the stops, was it?" Remus asked in a slightly sarcastic voice.
"Have you ever tried to escape a Dementor without a wand, Moony?”
"Point taken. It isn't something I'd like to face." Remus shuddered. "What stopped you succumbing to their power?"
"The Aurors, mate!"
"Right. So, what did they do about the Muggles?" said Remus.
"Those two blokes charged out gesticulating wildly and pointing at me, but I sloped away as nonchalantly as I could. I didn't wait around to watch the Muggles get Obliviated. I'm not sure what they would've said. After all, I saved them, didn't I?"
Remus didn't look convinced. "Muggles wouldn't know that they'd just been saved from a fate worse than death. Er... that pink-haired Auror should be known to you. She's closely related. In actual fact, she's your favorite cousin's daughter."
"That's Nymphadora?" Sirius said in surprise. "I haven't seen her—"
"Since Voldemort murdered James and Lily and tried to kill Harry." They both fell silent as they remembered their absent friends.
"So... little Dora's an Auror now? That's good! At least she turned out to have some sense!"
"She's a lovely girl," said Remus. "From what I hear, she's quite a good Auror. I guess it helps being a Metamorphmagus. So, would you like to see her again?"
Sirius nodded. "Absolutely! She saved my life and I'm really fond of anyone who does that. Could you arrange it?"
"Consider it done," Remus replied with a smile.
"It would be best if she visited here as I'm not planning to go too far astray, with so many visitors coming to watch the tournament. I just want to be near Harry, in case he needs any support or encouragement."
"What an excellent godfather you've turned out to be!" Remus said, smiling. "Lily and James made the right choice!"
* Five Words – Volume 12 Index *
* Five Words - Volumes Index *
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Last edited by Potteraholic on Fri Aug 12, 2011 9:43 pm; edited 1 time in total
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