Theme # 24: House-elf


"Name?"

"Marlene McKinnon."

The guy at the desk nodded, then held out a hand for her wand. Marlene hesitated - times were tough and, as a member of the Order of the Phoenix, she knew that to part with her wand, was no good idea.

"Wand," the guy said, thinking she did not realize what his action meant. "... and the house-elf has to stay outside."

She forgot about the wand, at once. "But the house-elf is the reason I am here! I demand some justice for him!"

The man raised an eyebrow. This woman, he had decided, was bonkers.

Theme # 25: Sorting Hat


"Nutcombe, Honoria."

As she stepped up to the Sorting Hat, little Honoria was anything but not scared - proof that pureblooded children could be as terrified of the sorting, as those from muggle families.

The Sorting Hat sank down her ears, and she was glad she could not see. She did not want to look at the many, unknown faces - the time when she would lay the foundation of the Society for the Reformation of Hags, brave a lot of tough things, was very far off.

"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat shouted.

Honoria jumped off the stole, and ran towards her house table.

Theme # 26: Quill


"Pass me a quill, Pennifold."

Daisy Pennifold looked up, half-turned round in her seat, and glared at the boy who sat behind her. "Get lost, will you, Malfoy?"

Morgan Malfoy grinned. "As a matter of fact, I won't. You're the one with the problem, not I."

Daisy checked a sigh. One day, she decided, she would invent a Bludger that would THWACK Morgan's head until he came up to her on his knees, and begged her for forgiveness.



When she married him, ten years later, the Quidditch-lover decided she might as well invent a Quaffle.

Theme # 27: Owl


KIDS! Madam Pomfrey sometimes wanted to thwack them in the head, when they were brought to her with an injury that was the result of pure folly. How could these kids be so careless? Did they think that their idiotic risks would make them some sort of hero?

"Poppy."

She looked up, saw that it was Minerva McGonagall. "Everything alright, Minerva?"

Minerva nodded. "Owl brought this for me." She threw her a letter, and Madam Pomfrey caught it with one hand. "Concerns you, too. Order stuff."

Poppy nodded, and turned away. She would read this with a cup of tea.

Theme # 28: Timeturner


Lily Luna Potter could not sleep. It was late and she wanted to, but drowsiness would not come. So the eight year old climbed out of bed, went down the stairs, and curled up in her mother's lap.

"What's a timeturner, mum?" she asked, with big eyes.

"You should be asleep, Lils," Ginny replied. She had bought a new broom hand-care kit, and had been examining it, and now she put it away to stroke her daughter's hair. "Where did you read about timeturners, anyway?"

"Aunt 'Mione mentioned them, the other day."

Ginny had to smile.

Theme # 29: Pensieve


Minerva McGonagall pushed open the door of the Headmaster's office, and stepped in without permission. She did not, of course, really require that - she was Deputy Headmistress, after all.

He stood by the door, back to her. The door of a cabinet stood ajar - he was bent over the Pensieve. Minerva cleared her throat, and Dumbledore turned around to look at her over his half-moon spectacles.

"Dolores goes too far," she said angrily. "How can you let her -"

"We have to."

Minerva fell silent. How much more of this would she have to take, before things became better?

Theme # 30: Feast


There was a visit to Hogsmeade on Halloween, and a feast later that night. Madam Puddifoot, as she served a couple coffee, knew that most of the student body that had arrived in her tea-shop, would be gone by evening. They would not want to miss the feast.

But she knew, too, that there were some people - friends, couples, loners - who would go back late, revel in the comfort of her shop until it was nightfall, and they absolutely had to return. She would save some extra coffee, for those people - she always did, for she liked the company.

Theme # 31: Dress Robes


"Narcissa."

She slipped her hand in his, and they descended the stairs, together. Neither was in good spirits - they had had a bitter fight only this morning, and the smiles were pure pretense: they did not want the guests to know how rusty things between them could get.

"I don't like your dress robes," he remarked.

"Stop being a sourhead, Lucius," she snapped. This was the man she had married, for love? "Stop being ... tangy."

He came to a halt, and Narcissa bit her lip. Uh uh. Then he turned round, and raised an eyebrow.

"Was that a compliment?"

Theme # 33: Classroom


Dolores Umbridge was livid. The short woman adjusted her bow, and strode into the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.

"YOU!" She made no attempt to sound sweet - she knew her voice was shaking too much for that. "Out."

Fred and George Weasley exchanged grins. Neither looked worried, and that only made her angrier. How dare they? HOW DARE THEY?

"Why?" one of the two asked, lazily.

"My office. THIS INSTANT."

She was red in the face, as they left. Did they think she was stupid, could not put two and two together? Oh, they would see - they would see.

Theme # 34: Parseltongue


Alicia Spinnet's eyes narrowed at that hunk of a young man, Slytherin Captain Marcus Flint. "Get out of here."

Flint grinned, and she had to look away. She KNEW she liked that grin -- but she could not admit that she had fallen under the charm of ... Flint.

"The two of us; a couple of firewhiskeys; Hogsmeade, next weekend - what do you say, Spinnet?"

Her eyes widened. "WHAT did you say?"

"I'm not speaking Parseltongue, woman."

THWACK.



Two hours later, head on a pillow in the Hospital Wing, Marcus Flint had to agree that Alicia Spinnet really could punch.

Theme # 35: Pureblood


Motherhood - the most UNthanked-for job, in the world, Mrs. Finnigan thought to herself, as she switched on the television. Some purebloods might sneer at such an act; but Mrs. Finnigan knew enough muggles to be aware how much of a relief the Idiot Box could be, at times.

"Mummmmm."

She looked up, and saw that three year old Seamus had stumbled over. With half a smile, she picked him up and, to her surprise, her little son threw his arms around her. Her smile widened and, quite suddenly, she switched the TV off again.

Who said motherhood was unrewarding?

Theme # 36: Muggle


There were tears in her eyes.

"Arabella, we are sorry -" Mrs. Figg said quietly, and her eyes were huge as she looked at the water that welled up in her daughter's eyes. "We should have told you before - my daughter -" She reached out to hug her only child to her chest --

-- and Arabella Figg tore away from her.

"YOU LIED TO ME!" She shouted furiously. "I might as well have been a muggle -- you KNEW I was a squib, but you kept giving me hope and --"

She broke down, in her mother's gentle arms.

Wept her heart out.

Theme # 37: Animagus


Daphne Greengrass was not a registered animagus, and she had a feeling she might never be - training was too tough for her and, try as she might, she could not fully grasp it.

"You're a Slytherin!" Her sister, Astoria, tried to encourage her. "We don't give up, us Slytherins."

"Yeah, we endanger everyone else to get what we want," Daphne said, sarcastically. "Or give the authorities money to flaunt that we are one, when we aren't. That's what your Mr. Fiance suggests, anyway."

Astoria's eyes darkened. "Keep Draco out of this."

Daphne rolled her eyes.

Theme # 38: Patronus


They had decided it was best to tell her the news, two hours ago. Cho Chang sat in her common room now, huddled in a corner, and her eyes were bright with tears. The professors had tried to take her away to the staffroom, to talk to her, but she had torn herself free of their grip, stuck to her corner in the common room.

Because it was over.

She would never be able to love again - never be able to talk, laugh, produce a patronus. Because the happy memories had flown away, all of them.

He was gone.

Gone.

Theme # 39: Duel


They did not call her the best duelling artiste of Hogwarts, without a reason - the speed with which Irma Crabbe's wand knew to move could take on the speed of lightning, and still have a good chance of turning out to be the winner.

She inclined her head now, as she took up the stance that would signify that the duel could commence. Pollux Black imitated her, and whipped out his wand. "Ready to taste dust?" he grinned.

"Speak for yourself," she shot back, but there was a smile in her words. He was, after all, her future-husband.

Theme # 40: Spell


"Madam."

Queen Mave looked up from her desk, and pushed her half-moon spectacles up the bridge of her nose. Her bright, green eyes shimmered through, friendly but with a certain touch of pride.

"Caretaker, sir?" she said.

"The spell works quite well, ma'am Queen," the caretaker said enthusiastically. "I believe it shall be fine to teach it to the students, ma'am Queen."

How enthusiastic he was! But then again, she had only picked him for the position because she knew this side of him - she wanted no bored people to work for her.

"Thank you, Caretaker, sir."

Theme # 41: Thestrals


Potions-maker might be inventive, but they had yet to discover a brew to cure writer's block, and Bathilda Bagshot was not happy with them. The celebrated author lowered her head on her arms, and closed her eyes - if only the lack of vision could lead to inspiration!

"Miss Bagshot," her neat house-elf announced. "Your tea is ready."

She gave a small nod, and stood up. In the distance, stretched unlit night, and it reminded her of silence, of thestrals and wraps of time. Bathilda smiled rather half-heartedly, and followed her house-elf out of her room.

Theme # 79: Author's Choice


"Sit down, sit down, Miss Barkwith."

The man's eyes were sly, but his grin was huge, and Musidora Barkwith took no pains to hide her exasperation. She gave a roll of her eyes as he pulled up a chair for her, and she sat down, opposite him on their table-for-two.

"What do you want, Mr. Mahagony?"

"Your work," he gushed excitedly. "It is amazing. You and I, we could work wonders, as a team, Miss Barkwith -"

"For the umpteenth time, Mr. Mahagony, I will not sell you the rights to my compositions!"

He glared; she stormed off.

Theme # 42: Portraits


You could never guess she had a love for arts - Katie Bell was a fighter, a risk-taker to the very core. It was no wonder, then, that she loved the sport of Quidditch, played it brilliantly. But that she loved a good painting equally well, the dust of old portraits - that, certainly, was.



"Katie," Mrs. Bell called up the stairs. "Dinner is ready -- we're all waiting for you."

"Be right down, mum."

She washed her hands, let the paint run down the sink. She would return to it, later. Work on canvas through the thick of the night.

Theme # 43: Headmaster


Oh God.

“Have a seat, Miss Bones.”

Susan sat down, with downcast eyes. She had never made any kind of trouble, at Hogwarts -- and now she sat opposite the Headmaster, courtesy Professor Snape.

“What is this, I hear?” Dumbledore asked, without any anger at all.

“It was accidental, sir,” she said in a rush. “I didn’t mean to drop my flask on Professor’s Snape foot and –”

Dumbledore raised a hand, and she fell quiet. His eyes twinkled, quite comfortingly, and then he nodded towards the door.

“I can go?” she asked, eyes wide.

He nodded – she rushed out.

Theme # 44: Ford Anglia

Great Aunt Muriel’s eyes were narrowed with dislike. “I must write Ronald a letter!” she declared. She had been frustrated with him since the time one of the twins had told her to ‘take a hike’ in response to her insistence that their youngest brother get his unsightly freckles magically removed, anyway.

Arthur Weasley looked up from the table, and thoroughly wished he had not invited Muriel for the week. “There will be no need for that, Smartha,” he said firmly. “This is my child, and my Ford Anglia, and I will handle it.”

Or rather, his wife would.

Theme # 45: Torch


Slow, sneaky footsteps.

Angelina Johnson was not sure when she had decided it would be a good idea to spy on the Slytherin team, but she was knew the fault lay with two, red-headed twins. She shielded her smallish torch with a hand, took one step forward. Inside the locker-room, the Slytherins sat in a semi-circle, Flint's voice loud.

“Coast clear,” Alicia Spinnet whispered, as she came up behind her. “There’s no one – AAAHHHH.” She tripped over something lying on the floor, went flying through the air and landed –

- right at Marcus Flint’s feet.

Theme # 46: Dungeon


Meh.

Detention, in the dungeons. Rose Weasley raised her fedora a little, and glared at her Potions Mistress through brown eyes.

“Take off that hat, Miss Weasley,” the said Potions Mistress said, quite firmly.

“Why?”

The professor pursed her lips, then motioned for her to come over. Rose obeyed. “Tell me what,” and now the professor’s tones were gentle. “Is the problem, Miss Weasley? You have never behaved like this, before.”

“Nothing,” Rose said shortly. She would not let the professor know it was Scorpious who had pushed over that cauldron – she had a duty to her best friend.

Theme # 47: Portkey


She giggled; he glared. “Oh, Teddy, you know I didn’t mean to,” she giggled, as she pushed at his sleeve. “You know, little man.”

“Don’t call me that.”
“… and leave me alone!”

Victoire giggled again, threw her arms around him. “There’s a portkey waiting for us, come on, Teds.”

She had ‘accidentally’ fed him a potion that stripped him of the hair on his head, and now expected him to visit the World Cup with her? Heck, he was bald. Pink-haired Teddy Lupin, BALD! He glared at her again. “Go away.”

She kissed him on the lips, in response.

Theme # 48: Leprechaun


Bathsheda Babbling - teacher of Ancient Runes at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry - had had an interesting day. She had not had to make coffee in the morning, read a book titled The Leprechaun in total peace, and taken no lessons.

The woman laid her head on her warmish pillow now, and grinned to herself as a house-elf made her a warm cup of tea. Under normal circumstances, this would be the time she taught a group of seventh years – but today, things were different.

She actually felt like it was pretty good, to be a bit sick, sometimes.