Challenge 79 - Trick
Title: Tom Foolery
Rating/Warnings: G; None
Characters/Pairing: Professor Sprout; Harry/Ginny; Draco/Astoria; Neville Longbottom
Summary: The parents of Scorpius Malfoy and Albus Potter are summoned for a meeting with the Headmistress of Hogwarts.
Word Count: 1,169
Author's Notes: So. I figured since McGonagall does retire at somepoint, and Neville becomes the herbology professor, that Sprout could just move right into that open headmistress spot and no one would care too much. S’alright? S’alright.
I guess this follows A Letter to Home.
Registered purchases?: No :(
Headmistress Pomona Sprout smiled as five people entered her office. The tallest of the group was the herbology professor, her replacement, Neville Longbottom. He was leading in two couples, talking animatedly to the first pair.
She nodded politely at all of them but her smile blossomed when the last person entered the office - a young woman who had once been in her house back when she was head of the Hufflepuff house.
“Professor Sprout,” she greeted, side-stepping the other people in the room to stand before the desk. “It’s so good to see you again!”
“You too, Astoria,” Headmistress Sprout stood and shook her hand. “It’s good to see all of you.” She smiled at the rest of them before nodding significantly at Neville. “Thank you kindly, Professor.”
Neville nodded back at her. “See you later, Harry. Ginny.” He waved and quickly left the office.
”Please, please,” Headmistress Sprout raised her wand and four chairs came to be stationed in front of her desk. “Have a seat, won’t you?”
Harry and Ginny Potter sat in the two seats closest to the entrance; Astoria and her husband, Draco, sat in the seats closest to her desk. The difference in body posture alone made Pomona chuckle secretly.
Draco and Harry sat in the far seats, separated by both their wives from each other. The blond haired man had his arms across his chest and his jaw set. Harry’s face was filled with tension, but his arms were loose at his side. The women, however, were leaning forward in their chairs, trying to get as close to the desk as possible without being rude. They seemed absolutely excited about having been summoned to sit before the headmistress of Hogwarts.
It was funny to her how much the men disliked each other, how much they had always disliked each other, and yet how similar they were. They even married women who were similar in appearance and temperament.
“Well, let’s get right down to it, shall we?” Pomona began. “I just wanted to make sure you know, as parents, that we are banning the Weasley Wizard Wheezes products next term.”
Ginny gasped. Draco grinned. Astoria looked between the two of them, confused. Harry raised an eyebrow and said, “Why?”
“My brothers will go out of business if they can’t supply their main demographic,” worried Ginny.
Pomona held up a hand. “Oh, no. No, no. I’m so sorry. It isn’t a school wide band. Your brothers won’t go out of business, don’t worry Mrs. Potter. They just can’t give any products to your son. We’ve been having an issue with pranks, you see.”
“James?” Harry asked, pushing his glasses up his nose. “I realize he is a little unruly, but-”
“No, no no. Not James. Albus.”
Ginny gasped again, and Draco was still grinning.
Pomona pulled off her brown hat and ran the palm of her hand over her gray hair. “Yes, it seems your younger boy clearly has a knack for that sort of thing. We’ve handed out detentions and handled the discipline here, you see. But it would save a lot of hassle if his uncles didn’t give him whatever products he wanted or needed, including making new ones for him. That’s partly why I called all of you here. You see, Scorpius is involved.”
This time, it was Astoria gasping. “The Potter boy is picking on my son?”
Draco snarled and leaned forward in his seat, glaring daggers passed both women to the dark haired man at the end of the row. “See, Astoria? I told you. The Potters and the Weasleys are always up to no good. A hybrid of the two of them is just asking for trouble.”
Harry glared right back, though he seemed at a loss for words.
“I just can’t believe my Al would pick on someone,” Ginny said.
“Oh, no no no. He isn’t picking on Scorpius.” Pomona said, pulling her hat back on over her gray hair. “They’ve teamed up together, you see. They are causing quite the raucous around the school. Remind me of Fred and George, actually. And they really are quite talented in the art of playing pranks - why, someone so young shouldn’t be able to turn treacle tarts into frogs, and I suspect that’s where the Weasley Wizard Wheezes products come in, but, one can never be too sure, can they?”
She smiled at the parents in front of her.
All four of them were staring back, mouths open.
For a moment, there was nothing but silence. And then the flood gates were opened; all at once the four parents started talking and Pomona had no idea who was saying what.
“I don’t understand why Ron and George would be in on this and somehow manage to not tell me!”
“Treacle tarts into frogs? Wow, they’ve really outdone themselves this time,”
“I don’t understand why we’re just finding out about this now,”
“How many times have they been in detention? What sorts of punishments did you dole out without our notice?”
“We could have at least gotten a letter about their shenanigans.”
"They are in two entirely different houses - how are they managing this?"
“Clearly their son has corrupted our son.”
“What can you expect with a name like Scorpius?”
“Oh, because Albus Severus just rolls right off the tongue.”
“Hey! He was named after two headmasters here at Hogwarts! It’s a great name!”
“Well, so is Scorpius, thank you very much!”
At this point, even the portraits started talking. Headmistress Sprout pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger.
“Of course, my name wasn’t good enough to go first.”
“Hey now. I lead a three year campaign to clear your name and get a portrait put up of you in this office. I don’t want to hear any complaining.”
“I suppose at least middle is better than nothing - my favorite student just throws away my memory and leaves it up to the Potter boy for my name to go on.”
“Um. Well, you see. About that-”
“Now, now, Severus. There is no need to nag.”
“You’re only saying that because your name is first.”
“OKAY! EVERYONE!” Pomona shouted. All four parents and the two suddenly talkative portraits fell silent. “Really, this is not that big of a deal; just two young friends, who happen to be very clever boys with very clever uncles who have a lot of magical joke products participating in some tom foolery. I only called you in here to let you know about the situation and, since the school year is about to end, let you know that your boys are not allowed to have any Weasley Wizard Wheezes products - whether they be custom made or otherwise.
“Is that understood?” She met each one of them with a hard gaze.
When they all lowered their heads and nodded, she smiled.
“Wonderful!” Headmistress Sprout stood and shook all of their hands again. “Do have a good day. Neville will show you back out.”
--
End Notes: I hope that wasn't too confusing. I wanted to really make it obvious that everyone was all talking at once. But then I thought, maybe I should put who is saying what? But then I ran out of time! Dudes, that 30 minute thing is tricksy.
1,169/30 = 38.9666 = 39 points for Hufflepuff!
Sarah//Hufflepuff
Rating/Warnings: G; None
Characters/Pairing: Professor Sprout; Harry/Ginny; Draco/Astoria; Neville Longbottom
Summary: The parents of Scorpius Malfoy and Albus Potter are summoned for a meeting with the Headmistress of Hogwarts.
Word Count: 1,169
Author's Notes: So. I figured since McGonagall does retire at somepoint, and Neville becomes the herbology professor, that Sprout could just move right into that open headmistress spot and no one would care too much. S’alright? S’alright.
I guess this follows A Letter to Home.
Registered purchases?: No :(
Headmistress Pomona Sprout smiled as five people entered her office. The tallest of the group was the herbology professor, her replacement, Neville Longbottom. He was leading in two couples, talking animatedly to the first pair.
She nodded politely at all of them but her smile blossomed when the last person entered the office - a young woman who had once been in her house back when she was head of the Hufflepuff house.
“Professor Sprout,” she greeted, side-stepping the other people in the room to stand before the desk. “It’s so good to see you again!”
“You too, Astoria,” Headmistress Sprout stood and shook her hand. “It’s good to see all of you.” She smiled at the rest of them before nodding significantly at Neville. “Thank you kindly, Professor.”
Neville nodded back at her. “See you later, Harry. Ginny.” He waved and quickly left the office.
”Please, please,” Headmistress Sprout raised her wand and four chairs came to be stationed in front of her desk. “Have a seat, won’t you?”
Harry and Ginny Potter sat in the two seats closest to the entrance; Astoria and her husband, Draco, sat in the seats closest to her desk. The difference in body posture alone made Pomona chuckle secretly.
Draco and Harry sat in the far seats, separated by both their wives from each other. The blond haired man had his arms across his chest and his jaw set. Harry’s face was filled with tension, but his arms were loose at his side. The women, however, were leaning forward in their chairs, trying to get as close to the desk as possible without being rude. They seemed absolutely excited about having been summoned to sit before the headmistress of Hogwarts.
It was funny to her how much the men disliked each other, how much they had always disliked each other, and yet how similar they were. They even married women who were similar in appearance and temperament.
“Well, let’s get right down to it, shall we?” Pomona began. “I just wanted to make sure you know, as parents, that we are banning the Weasley Wizard Wheezes products next term.”
Ginny gasped. Draco grinned. Astoria looked between the two of them, confused. Harry raised an eyebrow and said, “Why?”
“My brothers will go out of business if they can’t supply their main demographic,” worried Ginny.
Pomona held up a hand. “Oh, no. No, no. I’m so sorry. It isn’t a school wide band. Your brothers won’t go out of business, don’t worry Mrs. Potter. They just can’t give any products to your son. We’ve been having an issue with pranks, you see.”
“James?” Harry asked, pushing his glasses up his nose. “I realize he is a little unruly, but-”
“No, no no. Not James. Albus.”
Ginny gasped again, and Draco was still grinning.
Pomona pulled off her brown hat and ran the palm of her hand over her gray hair. “Yes, it seems your younger boy clearly has a knack for that sort of thing. We’ve handed out detentions and handled the discipline here, you see. But it would save a lot of hassle if his uncles didn’t give him whatever products he wanted or needed, including making new ones for him. That’s partly why I called all of you here. You see, Scorpius is involved.”
This time, it was Astoria gasping. “The Potter boy is picking on my son?”
Draco snarled and leaned forward in his seat, glaring daggers passed both women to the dark haired man at the end of the row. “See, Astoria? I told you. The Potters and the Weasleys are always up to no good. A hybrid of the two of them is just asking for trouble.”
Harry glared right back, though he seemed at a loss for words.
“I just can’t believe my Al would pick on someone,” Ginny said.
“Oh, no no no. He isn’t picking on Scorpius.” Pomona said, pulling her hat back on over her gray hair. “They’ve teamed up together, you see. They are causing quite the raucous around the school. Remind me of Fred and George, actually. And they really are quite talented in the art of playing pranks - why, someone so young shouldn’t be able to turn treacle tarts into frogs, and I suspect that’s where the Weasley Wizard Wheezes products come in, but, one can never be too sure, can they?”
She smiled at the parents in front of her.
All four of them were staring back, mouths open.
For a moment, there was nothing but silence. And then the flood gates were opened; all at once the four parents started talking and Pomona had no idea who was saying what.
“I don’t understand why Ron and George would be in on this and somehow manage to not tell me!”
“Treacle tarts into frogs? Wow, they’ve really outdone themselves this time,”
“I don’t understand why we’re just finding out about this now,”
“How many times have they been in detention? What sorts of punishments did you dole out without our notice?”
“We could have at least gotten a letter about their shenanigans.”
"They are in two entirely different houses - how are they managing this?"
“Clearly their son has corrupted our son.”
“What can you expect with a name like Scorpius?”
“Oh, because Albus Severus just rolls right off the tongue.”
“Hey! He was named after two headmasters here at Hogwarts! It’s a great name!”
“Well, so is Scorpius, thank you very much!”
At this point, even the portraits started talking. Headmistress Sprout pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger.
“Of course, my name wasn’t good enough to go first.”
“Hey now. I lead a three year campaign to clear your name and get a portrait put up of you in this office. I don’t want to hear any complaining.”
“I suppose at least middle is better than nothing - my favorite student just throws away my memory and leaves it up to the Potter boy for my name to go on.”
“Um. Well, you see. About that-”
“Now, now, Severus. There is no need to nag.”
“You’re only saying that because your name is first.”
“OKAY! EVERYONE!” Pomona shouted. All four parents and the two suddenly talkative portraits fell silent. “Really, this is not that big of a deal; just two young friends, who happen to be very clever boys with very clever uncles who have a lot of magical joke products participating in some tom foolery. I only called you in here to let you know about the situation and, since the school year is about to end, let you know that your boys are not allowed to have any Weasley Wizard Wheezes products - whether they be custom made or otherwise.
“Is that understood?” She met each one of them with a hard gaze.
When they all lowered their heads and nodded, she smiled.
“Wonderful!” Headmistress Sprout stood and shook all of their hands again. “Do have a good day. Neville will show you back out.”
--
End Notes: I hope that wasn't too confusing. I wanted to really make it obvious that everyone was all talking at once. But then I thought, maybe I should put who is saying what? But then I ran out of time! Dudes, that 30 minute thing is tricksy.
1,169/30 = 38.9666 = 39 points for Hufflepuff!
Sarah//Hufflepuff