HP fic: The Trouble with Arms
Title: The Trouble with Arms
Author: drabblewriter
Fandom: Harry Potter
Wordcount: ~500
Rating: PG
Characters: Albus Severus, Scorpius
Prompt(s): from ceilingninja at comment_fic : any, any, "It's just a flesh wound." "A flesh wound? Your arm's off!"
Summary: "It's just a flesh wound." "A flesh wound? Your arm's off!"
It happens one night during their second year. Albus uses his invisibility cloak to sneak himself and Scorpius into the Restricted Section of the library to “borrow” a book for “research purposes.” Albus isn’t quite tall enough to grasp the title he’s after, so he pulls out his wand, taps it on his reaching arm and mutters something.
“What did you say?” Scorpius whispers nervously.
“Arm-lengthening spell,” Albus hisses back. “Now, shut it and keep watch.”
Scorpius turns around and glances down the long row between the shelves of books. Behind him, there’s a pause before Albus mutters, “Come on, work! Bracchium longus!”
There’s a flash of light in the dim aisle, a muffled thump, and a surprised exclamation from Albus.
“Wha-?” But Scorpius cuts himself off as he turns around, because the sight that greets his wide eyes speaks for itself. Even having been part of the Wizarding World from birth, he’s never seen anything like this. Albus is standing there looking somewhat nonplussed - and minus one arm, missing from the shoulder. A glance downward shows that this was the noise Scorpius heard. On the ground near Albus’ feet lays his arm - still covered by the sleeve of his pyjama top, still the same length as always.
“Um…” the dark-haired boy says sheepishly, “perhaps I got it wrong?”
Scorpius’s mouth drops open. “Perhaps?” He can’t force out anymore words for the shear shock of it.
“Okay, fine, yeah, I messed up,” Albus grumbles. “But it’s just a flesh wound. Doesn’t even hurt.”
“A flesh wound?” Scorpius repeats incredulously, aware now that he sounds like a frightened parrot. “Your arm’s off!”
“Yes, I’d noticed,” Albus says dryly.
“We need to get you to Madame Pomphrey. She can fix it.”
“Yeah, I suppose so. Give me a hand, would you?” He lets out a loud guffaw as Scorpius hesitantly reaches for the arm.
“This isn’t funny!” the paler boy snaps. “What if it’s permanent? And quiet down, or someone will hear you!”
“Madame Pomphrey can fix anything,” Albus says confidently as they shift back under the invisibility cloak and head for the door. “I guess we’ll have to come back for the book tomorrow.”
Scorpius gives a longsuffering sigh - then yelps as the hand on Albus’s severed limb grabs onto his arm.
Albus laughs triumphantly and announces, “I did that! I can still control it.” He squeezes Scorpius’s arm again.
“That’s just weird,” the other boy says, a disgusted look on his face. He shoves the arm into its owner’s grip.
“I could get used to this,” Albus says, gazing at the disconnected arm thoughtfully. “Do we really have to get it fixed?”
“Yes!” Scorpius cries. “What are you going to tell Madame Pomphrey anyway? She’s going to ask how this happened.”
“I dunno,” Albus answers, unconcerned. “It’s a ways to the hospital wing. We’ll think of something.”
It’s always *we*, Scorpius thinks to himself morosely. Why do I let him talk me into these things?