[Harry Potter: Drabble] "The Other Boy Who Lived" [G]
Title: The Other Boy Who Lived
Prompt: writerverse challenge #25 ‘forks in the road’ (what if…?)
Word Count: 467
Rating: G
Original/Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairings: none
Summary: As the seventh month dies, You-Know-Who hears a prophesy- and makes a different choice.
Note(s): originally posted to the writerverse wv_bookclub
The Other Boy Who Lived
Everyone in the wizarding world knew the story of the Boy Who Lived. It was whispered in disbelief, then awe- how You-Know-Who had learned of a prophesy telling of his defeat, how he had tried to change his fate by killing the boy it named, how his curse had been rebounded by a mother’s love, how the boy had lived and how the dark wizard had (maybe) been killed instead.
“There he is…” murmured someone on Platform 9¾.
“…the Boy Who Lived…”
“…did you see his scar…”
“… are you listening to me?”
Neville looked up sharply to find his Gran frowning at him. “Sorry,” he said, quickly. “You were telling me to behave, I presume?”
She shook her head, then smiled. “What am I to do with you?” she asked fondly. “Try to stay out of trouble at Hogwarts, won’t you? I do not need Professor McGonagall writing me before the first week. Two, if you can manage it.”
“I’ll do my best, Gran,” Neville promised. “And she won’t be writing you if I’m not sorted into Gryffindor.”
“Of course you’ll be a Gryffindor,” said Gran, matter-of-factly. “Just like your parents, rest their souls.”
She stood and looked at him for a long moment, then . “Hurry up, then,” she said. “You don’t want to miss the train.”
Neville grabbed the handle of his trunk and hauled it up the steps. He paused to wave back at his grandmother, then set off through the train. Toward the back, he found a compartment already occupied by two boys his own age.
“Neville!” said Harry Potter, grinning from behind his glasses. “We were beginning to think you weren’t going to make it.”
“Yeah,” agreed Ron Weasley. “We’d have had to eat your share of Chocolate Frogs. Oh! That reminds me. Here.”
He rummaged around in his pockets, then pulled out a disgruntled-looking toad.
“Trevor!” cried Neville, snatching the creature from Ron’s hands and cradling him gently. “I thought I’d lost you for good this time!”
“He was under my bed,” said Harry. “You must have left him when you were over.”
The train whistle blew, and Neville collapsed into his seat. He saw his Gran, standing on the platform with Ron’s parents and Harry’s Uncle Sirius, all of them waving after the train as it began to pull away. Ron’s little sister, Ginny, raced alongside until the end of the platform, and all three boys waved back.
Behind them, the compartment door opened. “This is the only place left on the train,” said a girl with very bushy brown hair. “Can I sit here?”
“Er… all right,” said Harry, sliding over to make room for her.
She smiled and sat beside him, then frowned at Ron. “You’ve got dirt on your nose, by the way, did you know?”
THE END
Current Mood:
crappy
Prompt: writerverse challenge #25 ‘forks in the road’ (what if…?)
Word Count: 467
Rating: G
Original/Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairings: none
Summary: As the seventh month dies, You-Know-Who hears a prophesy- and makes a different choice.
Note(s): originally posted to the writerverse wv_bookclub
The Other Boy Who Lived
Everyone in the wizarding world knew the story of the Boy Who Lived. It was whispered in disbelief, then awe- how You-Know-Who had learned of a prophesy telling of his defeat, how he had tried to change his fate by killing the boy it named, how his curse had been rebounded by a mother’s love, how the boy had lived and how the dark wizard had (maybe) been killed instead.
“There he is…” murmured someone on Platform 9¾.
“…the Boy Who Lived…”
“…did you see his scar…”
“… are you listening to me?”
Neville looked up sharply to find his Gran frowning at him. “Sorry,” he said, quickly. “You were telling me to behave, I presume?”
She shook her head, then smiled. “What am I to do with you?” she asked fondly. “Try to stay out of trouble at Hogwarts, won’t you? I do not need Professor McGonagall writing me before the first week. Two, if you can manage it.”
“I’ll do my best, Gran,” Neville promised. “And she won’t be writing you if I’m not sorted into Gryffindor.”
“Of course you’ll be a Gryffindor,” said Gran, matter-of-factly. “Just like your parents, rest their souls.”
She stood and looked at him for a long moment, then . “Hurry up, then,” she said. “You don’t want to miss the train.”
Neville grabbed the handle of his trunk and hauled it up the steps. He paused to wave back at his grandmother, then set off through the train. Toward the back, he found a compartment already occupied by two boys his own age.
“Neville!” said Harry Potter, grinning from behind his glasses. “We were beginning to think you weren’t going to make it.”
“Yeah,” agreed Ron Weasley. “We’d have had to eat your share of Chocolate Frogs. Oh! That reminds me. Here.”
He rummaged around in his pockets, then pulled out a disgruntled-looking toad.
“Trevor!” cried Neville, snatching the creature from Ron’s hands and cradling him gently. “I thought I’d lost you for good this time!”
“He was under my bed,” said Harry. “You must have left him when you were over.”
The train whistle blew, and Neville collapsed into his seat. He saw his Gran, standing on the platform with Ron’s parents and Harry’s Uncle Sirius, all of them waving after the train as it began to pull away. Ron’s little sister, Ginny, raced alongside until the end of the platform, and all three boys waved back.
Behind them, the compartment door opened. “This is the only place left on the train,” said a girl with very bushy brown hair. “Can I sit here?”
“Er… all right,” said Harry, sliding over to make room for her.
She smiled and sat beside him, then frowned at Ron. “You’ve got dirt on your nose, by the way, did you know?”
THE END
Current Mood:
crappy